Anger meets her match
by dammit.taken
Summary: Andrea goes to The Zon. There's a guy she's always wanted to hang out with, but circumstance never worked in her favor. Until now.


Andrea slipped out of her work-clothes, tossing them into the hamper in her closet. She pulled some clothes out at random, then pulled on a clean bra and started getting dressed. A brief adjustment, then she turned toward the mirror. Something caught her eye- some pictures of her classmates taken during Jodie's party. One guy stood out. Andrea sat in class one seat behind him in just about every class. Every day until graduation, always sitting behind him, but never doing anything about it. His girlfriend was completely the opposite of her. Charming, friendly, popular, and attractive. As far as Andrea could tell, the only thing they shared was a total disdain for school.

During Jodie's graduation party, Andrea accepted a date from UpChuck, but it didn't go well. No understanding some people; perhaps if he dropped the Lothario act, or at least tried to speak like a normal human, but no. Not even UpChuck could break her walls down.

She didn't mind working in PayDay after the first couple months. The pay was decent; she made enough to help her mother with food costs, as well as keeping up her old Dodge Dart in a good state of tune. There was even enough to have fun, though the work hours kept her out of trouble, for the most part.

She thought back to her parent's request that she take the job, just before they split up. Now, after the divorce, Andrea asked herself daily why she didn't see it coming. Her mother was a patient woman, very quiet and unobtrusive. She also wasn't abusive, unlike her father.

Andrea stood in front of her mirror, looking at the reflection staring back at her. Chunky was what people once said. Thick. _Thanks, guys and gals. I really like being referred to as fat. Especially in a school full of waifs and anorexics._ She looked down and saw her full chest, not sagging the slightest bit, and smiled. Where she was once chubby she now was thick with muscle. Andrea would never be skinny. But she wasn't carrying much body fat anymore.

The gym had helped over her junior and senior years, changing her from slightly chunky to pure muscle. She weighed more now than she ever did, but it was okay. She could bench press her own weight twenty times, do twenty dips, skip rope for ten minutes, and still have enough energy to beat the crap out of a punching bag and finally cool off with some laps in the pool.

"Heh, I'm not a waif." Andrea then added, "I'm built like a wrestler, not a toothpick." Andrea turned around and chuckled, waiting fondly for the Moshpit. She rarely went down anymore, and when she did, there were eager hands helping her back up.

When Andrea went out that night, she had a good time; as if being kicked, punched, tripped, and felt up could be considered fun. But in the pit, all was fair, and she reveled in it. The Pain of Contact was infinitely pleasurable, whether it was by foot or fist, or even sometimes another person's head. Regardless, it was all in the name of releasing pent up anger and rage, letting both give way to Fun. With a capitol F.

The first song she heard after she walked in was by Skinny Puppy, and it thrilled her as she charged in, getting caught in the merry-go-round of fury. Next came Nitzer Ebb, followed by the DropKick Murphys, 7 Seconds, and numerous other hard-hitting bands, then finally some Pantera. It always ended on Pantera, the pure rage of Cowboys From Hell or Walk blaring over the speakers until the DJ winded it down. He never played more than the crowd could handle.

And the bouncers in the club made sure they could handle the crowd. Never over-aggressive, they managed to keep everyone in check, ensuring tempers didn't flare. When somebody got too wild, that person was escorted from the drunken brawl spinning madly in the pit.

At least until he or she calmed back down.

When the bouncers let Andrea back in for the second time that evening, she grabbed the first person she could, another woman with a shaved head and Mendhi art, much like her own. They locked forearms and spun round, knocking people back and crashing through the crowd until several other groups started following suit. Eventually the entire pit was in a mad dance of pure fury.

Andrea sat down at the bar, watching the people watch her watching them back and so on; it was a game they played. Everybody had their place. Except Andrea. She was always alone, always outside the cliques and their petty games.

"Joe, gimme something with a bite."

He complied, knowing he could lose his license, but he also knew Andrea always drank only one drink, always a vodka sour. "On me, sweetie." He smiled and slid it to her, watching her hand snatch it up, tossing it back and draining it all at once.

"Thanks, babe." She never understood why he was so nice to her, but it could have been because they shared the same tattoo on their backs. A wyrm. A legless dragon. Only Joe said his was a Quetzalcoatl. Whatever that was.

She remembered when Jane Lane had stopped her after gym class and commented on the tattoo, saying her older sister studied it, the Aztecs and Mayans the older Lane daughter studied called it Nine Moons or Kukulcan.

She had nothing against Jane, and would have been closer, except for Daria Morgendorffer. Daria was a nice girl with a great sense of cynicism. But she tried to fit in more than Andrea could stand, and they left it at that. Respectful, but distant.

Andrea heard another song she liked, some old Metallica, and though it wasn't her first choice of music, it fit her needs as she charged in, getting hit in the face in the process, feeling the blood dripping down from her nose.

She could barely repress the smile as she came back around and plowed through the younger boy who sent her the cheap shot. As he went down, Andrea caught his hand and pulled him back up, blowing him a kiss as she spun him away, waiting for the next target.

-

Andrea sat in her car, contemplating the night. She could tell her nose was not quite broken, but she sneezed once walking back to her car, and it nearly brought her to her knees in pain.

"Another fun night." The smile on her face was genuine.

When she got home, she thought of all the male students she graduated with. Especially the one who always sat in front of her, as if tantalizing her- inside her reach but impossible to touch. He was unique too. She knew about his taste in music, and hoped one day they could share a dance. Given his girlfriend, _Fat Chance_.

Mack hung up the phone with Jodie. The graduation party had gone well, but he felt the gulf opening between them ever since that night. The tears on her voice, the frustration in his… It didn't matter, he knew she didn't like him for being him, she liked him for being the Other Black Student. The captain of the football team. Smart, good looking, athletic, and respectable.

The same could be said for her hyper-sensitive mother, a very prickly woman in her own way. She liked Mack because of what he represented, not who he was. Any woman who lived her life as vicariously as Jodie's mother did through her would be bad news down the road. Mack could tell, and he was coming to realize he had a different life path from his first sweetheart. He no longer regretted the break-up as much as he did.

-

He spun the rope in his wrists, feeling the momentum of the rawhide line's inertia carry past his feet, out, and over his head, coming back around and repeating. He liked jumping rope at home before he left for the gym. The noise irritated his mother.

He spent a lot of free time this summer at the gym, most mornings spent pushing weights around he couldn't even budge his sophomore year. He wasn't fond of the R&B they played at the gym; he preferred music with an edge. Speed-Metal. Punk. Industrial. He never admitted it, but he never enjoyed the music Jodie preferred, though it did get her into the mood for making out. A pity he couldn't readily reciprocate her mood.

When he pulled up to the gym, it was nearly empty except for employee's cars and a few random enthusiast. He shouldered his bag and walked inside, flashing his gym badge.

Ninety minutes later he was walking back out, sore and tired, but feeling alive. He thought about calling Jodie, but the thought of listening to her talk about Turner, the university she was accepted to, or any of her other myriad achievements, left him deciding to skip the call.

Before he pulled up to his parent's home, he slipped the Sepultura CD out and stuck it in the glove-box. The thought of him, one of the only black students in town, preferring speed-metal and the like over pop or R&B always struck him as funny.

He walked up and opened his house door to find his mother was waiting.

"Jodie called, Michael. You really should call her back. She only has a couple weeks before she heads off to Turner."

Even his own parents expected him to be dating Jodie. She was black, quite attractive, and very smart. He still figured they didn't need to know about the break-up. He wasn't planning on telling, either- it was none of their business. When he got to his room, he shut the door and muttered, "You just want your son married to the millionaire's daughter."

The thought was something he had only experienced recently, since the last couple months of school. But it left him bitter at his own parents. He covered it up as best he could, because he was Michael 'Mack' MacKenzie. It was expected of him.

Mack watched TV in his room, the sound muted as he zoned out to some Corrosion of Conformity, the headphones snug around his ears.

-

Andrea pulled up the gym at the same time she saw Mack's car pulling away. Intrigued, she realized she was earlier than normal; though the gym had been open only about ninety minutes. She grabbed her bag and headed inside, flashing her badge as she walked toward the weight room. Several other women looked at- she ignored them as she ignored their weight machines. She liked to handle the free weights; she was less constrained. She was also fond of the discipline it took to lift free weights with proper form.

Andrea finished doing her presses, noting several men kept an eye askance at her. Her Henna artwork and body piercings kept most of them just looking.

When she started doing preacher curls, she chuckled inwardly at the size her arms were. Not quite bulky, they were still toned enough her triceps muscles striated when she did her dips. That's why she often wore long sleeve shirts. Guys looked scared when they saw the size of her arms.

"Hey, Andrea. Lookin' good! Nice tone." The voice came from one of the men who worked behind the counter. He often provided a spot for Andrea; most men didn't think she was serious about the weights she moved.

"Thanks."

"He's lucky, whoever he is." The man turned and smiled, then he walked back to his counter and waited for more gym patrons. He always assumed she had a male counterpart.

He turned and smiled as his coworker, a Barbie-doll-looking yoga-snob, whispered, "Is she a dyke?"

"No, she's a bad-ass."

Andrea finished her weights, then she checked out a pair of gloves and a jump rope from the man and went over to the small side room where the punching bags were located. She pulled the rope out, swinging it behind her and counting to ten.

Then, with a flick of the wrist, the rope spun around; she barely lifted her feet as it passed underneath. She tightened her chest and abdominals to prevent the rhythmic bob of her breasts, pacing her breathing to keep her pace frantic. And so she continued for five minutes, never pausing or slowing down.

Once she had completed several five minutes cycles of skipping rope, she dropped the rope, unable to keep her breath from coming in short gasps. While catching her wind, Andrea pulled the gloves on and wrapped up the straps, ensuring a snug fit on her wrists.

A tentative jab sent the bag swinging. She connected one more time, catching the tempo as the speed-bag swung back and forth. Then with a flurry of motion, she drilled the bag, hitting ten times in a row with each hand then switching up without missing a hit.

After five more minutes, she stepped back and slumped, drained from her workout. When she turned her gloves and the rope back in, the man laughed but the woman just stared at her. The noise of her work-out on the bag had carried down the hallway, and another woman was the last person she expected to see come out of the room.

Andrea walked back to her car, confident the next time she went into a Moshpit she would fare as she always did, battered, worn out, and content. The workout left her feeling the same way, and was one of the only times she really felt happy anymore.

Andrea drove home- her mind on going clubbing later, after work. Her mother was making ends meet, just barely. Andrea's check was now almost essential, and if she wanted to attend school, it would have to wait until she could get some grants, or at least a student loan. _No rush_ , she thought, _I'm not going anywhere in life._

-

Mack thought about Jodie while he was at work. Summer jobs were an inconvenience, but a welcome one. It kept his mind off Jodie and what was happening to their relationship. Since they talked the last time, Jodie had been distant, not quite cold, but not her normal friendly self.

"Mack, you've got to understand I need to do this for me. I'll never know how far I can go until I try."

Those were the words she left him with as they broke up. Now all Mack was feeling for her was frustration. She didn't even want to try to keep the friendship going. Sorority this and Such-and-such Club that. Jodie was already spreading herself thin at Turner, and she wasn't even officially in school yet.

Mack showered and changed, putting his work clothes on. A nice button-up shirt, a tie, and black pants with black shoes. Waiting tables at a restaurant wasn't the worst job, and he did it well. The tips were frequent and often generous, given his outward disposition.

But Mack often felt the frustration inside of having to be wait on people hand and foot. The stupid comments, often callous - sometimes even including his ethnicity- made him grit his teeth while smiling. Mack resented those customers but he still treated them fairly.

Today was like every other. Some friendly customers, some courteous customers, and then some unhappy customers. As dinnertime approached, people became more edgy and less patient.

Mack took the order from the obviously wealthy couple. Diamonds flashing, a low cut top revealing a bosom only science could guarantee. The man had a hairline that could only be provided via medical procedure- the thinning just a little too even. His condescending and conciliatory tone to Mack revealed his views of a black man attending him and his wife.

"Ah, that's a good _boy_. And please, our salads before our dinner?" The man put an emphasis on the word boy, and Mack caught the subtle smirk as he said it, ensuring Mack understood his place.

"Certainly, sir. Anything else I could get you while you wait? Ma'am?"

When they declined, Mack turned away and stalked back to the kitchen, somewhat humiliated.

When he went inside and handed his order to the cooks, he said, "I'm taking a five. I need to get some fresh air." Mack walked out the back door and sat down on one of the milk-crates stacked aimlessly about. The smokers usually used them, but Mack felt his anger rising, and he had no desire to start anything with only a few hours left on shift.

After a couple minutes of deep breathing, he got his temper under control and walked back inside, remembering back to all the times he had been mad at Kevin and managed to stay in control.

"Here's your salads, Ma'am, Sir." Mack set them down, when the man grabbed his wrist.

"Boy, I told you I wanted my salad served with my meal. Do I need to talk to your manager?" The older man was acting very dramatic, as if he had planned the whole thing.

Mack felt the hand on his wrist and somehow was able to keep from jerking his hand back. He turned to the man and said, "My apologies, Sir. I misunderstood."

"As would be expected..." The man stopped mid-sentence, snapping his mouth shut. His wife barely stifled giggling.

Mack slowly pulled his hand away and once again apologized. Then he turned and went back to the kitchen to get another customer's order out.

-

Andrea pushed the cart across the aisles, hugging the back wall. Most customers avoided talking to her, and she did a pretty good job ignoring them, but this evening every idiot customer was bugging her. She was looking at guaranteed overtime at the pace she was stocking freight.

"Excuse me, miss, I was wondering. Do you know if these..?" The woman hefted a box of crackers, "Are lower in fat than these?"

Andrea looked from one box to another. One box had the word LOW-FAT printed in the upper right corner. She shrugged, then pointed at the second box.

"Those say they're lower." Andrea leaned forward and pushed her cart out into the aisle, trying hard to not reach out and strangle the woman.

The rest of the night was much the same. But the time Eight PM came around, Andrea found herself with enough freight to stock to keep her busy over another hour.

"Overtime… At least I'll get some overtime." She shrugged and pushed the next load of groceries on. When she finished and punched out, she found herself ninety minutes later than desired. A roll of the head and a shrug of her shoulder. Andrea knew the club would be waiting for her. She stopped for gas on the way there.

-

Mack left his shift in a funk. The rich customers still complained to the manager, he in turn told Mack their dessert would be coming out of his tips for the evening. Before he was even punched out, he was stripping his tie off; then he stormed out the back door, kicking several milk crates as hard as he could.  
When Mack got to his car, he was starting to calm down, then his phone rang. Looking at the number made him grind his teeth. Jodie was the last person he wanted to talk to, especially in this state. But he did what Mack would do.

"Hello? Hey Jodie. I just got off work."

"Mack, can I ask a favor? I need a ride to the movies tonight. My father is working late and my mother is attending a church function, so I don't have a car."

Mack ground his teeth together; Jodie was trying to use him again, the way she did whenever she wanted something.

"You can't find a ride with one your female friends?" He was surprised he said it, but it was too late to recant.

"Mack, c'mon! All I'm asking you for is a ride. It's not like I'm going to cheat on you. We aren't even dating anymore. Or don't you understand what we talked about the other night? Mack? Mack?"

Mack watched the phone explode into a thousand pieces against the brick wall of the restaurant. He felt the rage subside as fast as it overtook him. When he climbed into this car, he was ashamed he lost his control, realizing it was the first time off a football field he had ever done anything like that.

He arrived at home still furious; a combination of anger and something else barely under control. It was a new sensation for him. He tried to avoid his parents when he walked inside, but as he mounted the bottom stair, his mother called to him.

"Mack, Jodie tried to call. Why didn't you talk to her? She said you hung up on her."

She saw the look on his face, then added, "I'm frankly quite ashamed of you, Michael MacKenzie. You know she…"

"I dropped my phone, mom. I guess it might be broken." He started to turn back upstairs, but his mother grabbed his arm and pulled gently.

"Mack, where is your phone? You can still call her, you know. You really should."

Mack felt the hand on his arm and tensed; he looked his mother in the eyes and said, "I threw the phone. I'm freaking tired of Jodie using me as her chauffer, her study-buddy, and her token boyfriend." He shook her arm off and took the stairs two at a time. Once he reach the top stair, he hollered back, "Leave me alone!"

Mack shut the door to his bedroom, leaving his mother standing there, stewing in her anger. He slipped in a Ministry CD and put his headphones on, trying to forget the evening.

Twenty minutes later, he was changing, putting on some old jeans and a plain black t-shirt, then he grabbed an old pair of work-boots from several summers ago when he worked at at a youth-camp on a farm. When he opened the door, his mother was coming up the stairs.

"Where are you going dressed like that, Michael MacKen…?"

"Out. Does it matter where? I'm eighteen now, mom. I'll be back later." He walked past her and slammed the door on his way out.

A short time later he was pumping gas when he saw an old classmate's car pull up. It was Andrea.

Andrea was pumping her gas when she saw the car pull up. It was him, alone.

-

Mack got out of his car and looked in Andrea's direction. He'd never paid much attention to her in High School; her manner and attire were so different from Jodie, his girlfriend. Make that ex-girlfriend.

Mack slid the nozzle into the tank and started pumping gas, the ku-chunk of the pump a soft rhythm to his ears. Then he realized Andrea could probably hear the music still playing on his radio. He suddenly felt very self-conscious.

"Damn." He reached inside and turned the stereo off, wondering if she heard the speed metal. When he finished pumping gas, he walked into the store and got in line, cash in hand. Then he noticed Andrea was right behind him. She smelled of lilacs.

Andrea saw Mack in front of her, waiting for the people in front of them to move on. She didn't say anything, she just watched him.

"That will be twenty three dollars, sir." The attendant looked at Mack expectantly. Mack counted the bills out, realizing he was several dollars short. Then he remembered the dessert came out of his own tips. "Damn. I'm sorry, I over-pumped… Is there any way I can work it off for you or something?" Mack started to panic; he could end up in serious trouble. Then a hand reached around him and dropped a five dollar bill on the counter.

"Paid." It was all Andrea said. She stepped back, giving Mack his space and some of his dignity back.

"Thank you ma'am. Sir, try to be a little better about stopping the gas when your money stops." The attendant dismissed him and said, "Next?"

Andrea walked forward and dropped a twenty down, then grabbed a pack of gum and said, "This too."

Mack stood outside, wondering how to address Andrea. He was totally embarrassed, and didn't know how to thank her. He watched her pay as the attendant looked at her piercings and her heavy eyeliner, shaking her head as she rung Andrea up.

Andrea ripped the pack open and slipped a piece of gum in her mouth as she walked past the garbage can by the door, tossing a wrapper in the open container. When she saw Mack out there, she felt a thrill much like what she felt in school, but chances were he'd just thank her and blow her off. She was Andrea.

"Um, thanks… Andrea."

Mack took a step toward her, but she barely turned her head and said, "Welcome." He watched her walk back to her car and open the door of her car.

Andrea stood there with the door open; wondering why is was so hard to talk to him. Finally she said, "Good music, dude." Then she climbed in and shut the door.

Mack was about to get in his car when he heard her last statement. He almost shut the door on his hand before he ran over to her car. "Andrea!"

Andrea hit the brakes as she slipped into gear, wondering what else the popular guy would have to say to her. Then she shifted back into neutral.

"Andrea... Um, thanks. How can I repay you?" Mack looked at her, taking in her black lipstick and the ankh about her neck, the stud in her nose and henna artwork around her eyes. She looked exotic. She was striking, even beautiful, just not in the conventional way.

Andrea sat there a full minute before she spoke. "Get in…"

"What?" Mack looked around to see if anybody else heard her, but the gas station was now empty of customers, the attendant was already back to her TV.

"I said get in. That's how you can repay me." Andrea couldn't believe she was actually saying it, but she was.

"Um, no offense Andrea but I have to get…" Mack stopped mid-sentence, remembering he had told his mother he was going out.

Andrea had the car back in gear when Mack put his hand on her door. "Wait," he yelled. "Where are you going?"

"Out. Maybe kill something. Or blow something up. Find inspiration for some poetry." Andrea tried to keep the excitement out of her voice as she found Mack about to enter her car.

"I could go for killing something." Mack knew he sounded ridiculous, out of character, but his tone lent credence to his words.

"Move your car. I'll wait." Andrea watched him run back to his car, his dreadlocks bouncing as he ran. He was always graceful, even when flustered. The thought almost made her smile.

Andrea followed Mack to the deserted PayDay parking lot. It almost surprised her, then she remembered the security cameras. It was a good choice.

Mack parked, surprised he was doing something so audacious. He never really conversed with Andrea in school; in fact, nobody ever did. And now he was about to get in her car and ride around with her, off to who knows where. Probably some drug den filled with other Goths.

"Hop in. Or I'm gone." Andrea waited until he shut the door, then she pulled away, waiting for him to speak.

"Um, yeah." Mack couldn't think of anything else to say, so he sat there in silence, wondering where they were headed.

After a block or two of silence, Andrea made a u-turn and headed back to PayDay's parking lot. As soon as she pulled up to Mack's car, she reached across his lap and opened his door, then she turned to him. "Get your CDs."

Mack got out and walked to his car, wondering what was going on, but he complied and grabbed his CD case from his glovebox. As soon as he climbed back in, Andrea turned on her CD player.

"Put in something you like." Mack heard the emphasis, and pulled out his Sepultura disc, sliding it in. Andrea flipped the volume knob up a little higher as the music started; leaving the music loud enough to hear but not prevent conversation.

"Andrea, where are we going?" Mack looked at her, trying to figure her out, but she was a complete enigma. Solidly built, not waifish like Jodie. The clothing she wore was always dark, her hair wild but somehow fitting her. He wondered what it would be like to kiss a girl with a tongue piercing.

Andrea didn't reply at first, she enjoyed the music and kept her eyes on the road. The Zon was past the mall; a few miles away on the south side of town. "The Zon."

"Huh? There?" Mack blinked, wondering why she would be headed there, then he realized she was going out for the night.

"Yeah. You got in my car, so I get to choose." Andrea let slip a small laugh.

Mack started at the sound of her laugh; it was soft, like velvet, a moody contralto that sent a chill up his spine. He realized he was staring at her, so he looked ahead at the road. Then he saw a familiar car pull out of the Mall. "Damn."

"What?" Andrea looked ahead and saw the car and its occupants; Brittany, Jodie, and another cheerleader. "Oh, them. Never mind. I'll drop you off wherever you want."

As they passed the other car, it slammed on the brakes, then pulled a fast U-turn and sped up until it was even with them. Jodie rolled her window down and yelled at him.

"What the hell, Mack? You're going out with her?"

Mack rolled his window up and grimaced, then he turned to Andrea and said, "I'm sorry."

Andrea slowed down and changed lanes, then she pulled into an empty lot.

When Brittany pulled alongside the passenger side, Mack started opening the door, then he heard Andrea whisper, "This could be fun." He turned as he climbed out, but she was looking at Jodie walking up.

When Mack turned to face Jodie, he felt the slap before he heard it. It left his jaw numb, but he stood there, silent.

"What the hell, Mack? You said you weren't going anywhere." Jodie was so mad she almost looked ridiculous, but he didn't smile.

"I never said that. I hung up on you." Mack turned and looked at Andrea, sitting in her car, music turned up. She was ignoring the argument, and for some reason, Mack was thankful.

"You pig. I can't believe you would do this to me!" Jodie walked closer and raised her hand again, but Mack stepped back, waiting for her next move. When she raised her hand again, he just narrowed his eyes. The slap never came.

"You really are showing your colors, Jodie. Thanks for confirming my latest beliefs." He was about to turn, but he felt Jodie's hand on his shirt-sleeve.

"What does that mean?" Brittany was talking, now standing close by, her arms crossed around her chest. The third girl was still in the car, laughing. Jodie parroted Brittany's words.

"It means I'm over you. All of you." Mack turned around, but Jodie tugged hard on his shirt, tearing the sleeve part-way off. "What the heck, Jodie?" Then he caught the faint whiff of alcohol.

"I'm not done talking to you, you creep. You don't turn away from me when I'm..."

"Yes, he does. Let go, Jodie, or I'll bust your grill."

Mack, Jodie, and Brittany all turned to see Andrea leaning against the hood of her car, arms slightly crossed, and a bored look on her face.

Jodie's mouth made a small o, shocked the Goth had talked to her. "What?" Jodie practically squeaked.

"I said don't pull on his shirt if you like having front teeth." Andrea stood up straight and gave a small smile, her eyes flashing.

Brittany took a step toward Andrea, her fists by her side, flexing. "Go back to your cave goth-girl."

Andrea looked at Brittany and chuckled as she said, "Shut up, Barbie. Can't you find a better bra?"

Brittany stood there, dumbstruck.

"You're lucky I don't smack you, freak." Jodie was now glaring at Andrea.

"Go ahead. You chicken?" The look on Andrea's face was now one of contempt.

Andrea didn't even blink when Jodie slapped her. Mack tried to intervene, but Andrea just held her hand up, waving him off. Andrea just looked at her and said, "You hit like a bitch."

She spit some blood out of her mouth and smiled, then added, "Jodie, you're a slave to you own ego."

Andrea then leaned against her bumper and looked at the women, then at Mack. All he could do was shrug, so she finally said, "Mack, you going with them or coming with me? I'm leaving either way."

Mack still couldn't believe the change in Jodie; the few drinks they shared in the past never affected her like this. He looked at Jodie and Brittany, both standing there with blank expressions, then he finally said, "You're drunk. Pathetic, Jodie."

He turned around and got in Andrea's car, then he tore his other sleeve off so the shirt was even. Andrea turned and started toward the driver's door. But before she climbed into her car, she turned and faced the others. Her focus was on Jodie.

"You blew it." Andrea cracked a smile while her lips bled and added, "You'll never meet a guy like Mack ever again."

When Andrea got back in her car, Mack was holding the torn-off sleeve in his hand. Andrea took it from him and hung it around her mirror, then said, "You want to go get some anger out?"

Mack finally looked back from the women still standing there as she drove away. "Huh?"

"I'm not hitting on you." Andrea held her breath, waiting for a response. Her lip was swollen, but nothing worth mention. She whispered so soft he barely heard, "˜Yet."

"Huh? What were you saying?" Mack finally looked at Andrea; her lip was bleeding from the back-hand slap, but she didn't seem fazed. Her lipstick was smeared, though. "Your lipstick is smeared."

"Yeah? Yours is too." Andrea flashed a smile and laughed, again the velvet contralto. Mack almost laughed when he caught the joke.

Mack lifted his hand to his lip and felt the split; he could taste the blood in his mouth.

"Want me to take you back to your car?" Andrea realized Mack was still in a daze from the last five minutes. She herself had been momentarily concerned, till she smelled the alcohol. Both Brittany and Jodie would be sporting headaches tomorrow.

"No. You said something about anger?" Mack rubbed his tongue across the inside of his mouth and felt where the blow left his lips swollen, a cut on the inside from tooth contact stung when he touched it.

"The Zon." Andrea reached across and touched Mack's split lip; the contact sent a thrill through him. Her touch was a feather on his stubble.

There was an awkward moment, then she pulled her hand away. Andrea took a breath, then exhaled deeply. "What happened back there?"

Mack sat for another couple minutes before he answered. "We broke up a couple weeks ago. I had a bad day at work, too. Some jerks... They... Just some racial stuff. My parents…"

"Talk. I'm not going away."

Andrea slowed to a stop in the Zon's parking lot. It was packed, and she was willing to wait a couple minutes to hear what Mack had to say.

-

"So anyway, he called me boy and I almost lost it. My manager took some of my tip money to cover their dessert. That's why I didn't have enough money at the gas station." Mack shrugged, he was realizing the day was his worst in memory. On the other hand, the girl; correction, woman next to him was listening to him. Not just hearing, but actually listening. It thrilled him and at the same time, embarrassed him. He avoided looking at her eyes- they seemed to pierce his soul.

Andrea listened through the whole story without interrupting. She could tell Mack was upset by the way he kept looking out the windshield instead of making eye contact. After he finished, Andrea pulled the sleeve off the mirror, holding it in her hands. "Come on. Let's get some anger out." Andrea opened the door, but Mack sat still. "Come on, Mack."

"I'm broke." He looked up at her, but she walked around and opened the door, squatting down at eye level with him.

She reached inside her shirt and pulled out a twenty dollar bill, then pulled his arm from across his chest and tucked the note in his hand. As he watched she took the sleeve off her mirror and pulled it over her head, using it to hold her hair back.

"There, I just paid you for my new headband. Get off your ass and follow me."

Mack got out and followed Andrea into the Zon.

"Well, Amiga, this show is turning out to be loud, at least." Jane looked to Daria, who just sat around staring at the mosh-pit. She was clearly wondering why people would do anything so destructive to themselves in the name of fun.

"You can say that a…" Daria dropped her glass; it fell and shattered on the floor.

Jane turned and followed Daria's gaze. The latter said, "What the heck?"

Andrea was holding onto Mack's hand as she led him to the bar. Both had bloody lips, but neither seemed to care.

"Okay. Did Hell just freeze?" Daria looked down, embarrassed she dropped her glass. Jane was still looking out into the crowd of people walking around between tables; Mack and Andrea were headed towards them through the throng.

"Where's Jodie?" Jane looked all around the club but didn't see any sign of her.

"Hey, Daria, Jane." Mack walked up to them and occupied the space next to them, Andrea to his other side.

"Hi, Mack. Um, what's going on?" Daria looked past him and saw Andrea just standing quietly by his side. They weren't holding hands now.

"Nothing. Andrea and I decided to go dancing." Mack gestured to the bartender for a couple sodas.

Daria's eyes widened, then she caught the slight motion from Jane. She was just as stunned as Daria by his words.

"Mack, where's Jodie?" Daria finally asked.

"Who cares?" He grabbed his and Andrea's sodas, then they walked off to an unoccupied table.

Jane turned to Daria and giggled, then added, "That's not something I ever expected to see.

Daria took in Mack's boots, the faded jeans, and his sleeveless black t-shirt. "There's something weird going on, Amiga."

"Let it go. Jodie must have finally pushed him too far." Jane was enthralled at the prospect of seeing Jodie receive her comeuppance; the two never meshed the way Daria and Jodie did.

"Why would you say that? Jodie's my friend. She always…"

"Treated him like a spare tire. No offense, Daria, but you're really naive when it comes to relationships. Need I mention Tom?" Jane was still upset over that whole ordeal, but since Tom and Daria broke up, things were coming back together for better or worse in the two girl's friendship.

"I wonder what she said to him to make him go to her." Daria looked straight at Andrea, revealing her impression he was too good for her. Jane sighed, ignoring her desire to bait Daria.

"Judging by the fat lip, I'd say she popped him in the mouth. Maybe it's a new way to ask people out. I can see it now. See a guy you like. Ask him, wanna date? Pow! If he hits you back, clearly a yes. Could be fun." Jane turned back to the bar and watched several other men come up and order drinks. One was very nice; his shaved head and tattoos beckoning.

"I said, why does she have a fat lip as well?" Daria looked exasperated when she caught Jane's eyes.

"Huh? I'm not paying attention to them anymore." Jane giggled as Daria finally looked where Jane was pointing. Two of the guys from the first punk band were sitting down a few stools down; Jane was fawning over one of them.

Andrea sat down with Mack, looking at the two women at the bar. She felt a kinship to Jane, but it never grew due to Daria's friendship with her. Daria... was an enigma. Smart, cynical, and pretty, but she seemed afraid to be too different. She was content with her fringe contrarian attitude.

Andrea's only close moments with Daria were when she was working and PayDay lost power. An unofficial truce was signed, and everybody moved on. What bugged Andrea the most was how disenchanted Daria acted, yet she never struck out on her own. It didn't matter, though. What mattered was the guy standing next to her.

Mack noticed her looking at the women at the bar and said, "What's going on? You don't seem too happy to see them." He took a swallow of his Hyper-Cola, noting how much better it tasted than Ultra-Cola.

"No biggie. I'm gonna go dance. Join me at your peril." Andrea stood up, and with a flourish of her dress, she was gone.

Mack watched Andrea enter the mosh-pit; within seconds she was engulfed by the seething mass. As he watched, he found himself aching to join, but he'd never been out in anything like that. It resembled a drunken brawl at high speed on a merry go round.

Andrea went full bore into the pit and was rewarded with a boot to her thigh. She turned and saw the owner of the boot, smiled, and hip-checked him away. Then another foot almost tripped her; she reached out to the man in front of her and caught her balance, and suddenly all was right again with the world.

Mack saw Andrea lurch and almost fall, then go careening off the wall of people surrounding the pit. He looked closer and found she was smiling. They all were.

After watching another couple minutes, he put his drink down and re-laced his boots, wondering how a black guy would be received. Without further thought, he stood and walked to the pit, then jumped in.

Andrea watched Mack from the corner of her eyes. She knew he'd never been moshing, and was concerned how he would react to the violence of the pit. He might be a football player, but they wore pads in games. Luckily, he was one of the most muscular men there. When she saw him step up, she charged past over another girl and jerked Mack by his arms, not saying a word.

Mack felt the crowd open up near him as Andrea charged at him, then suddenly he was flung back, Andrea in tow as several other people plowed into them. Mack went down, Andrea on top of him.

"Get up. They'll pull you up if you don't stand." The words were soft, but so close to his ear he heard them clearly. He felt her breasts on his arm- it was distracting, thrilling even, but before he could even compose a thought, she was pulling him up as other hands were pushing them back into the center.

Mack fell into the rhythm of the pit, the circular motion and surging from one side to the other as knots of people resisted, then melded. After the third punch to his ribs, he realized there was no animosity, just energy and a raw desire to let loose.

Andrea watched Mack get pushed forward again from the opposite line of people; she caught his hands and twisted him around, spinning him into several people doing a windmill, and they all went down.

When Andrea felt the arm grab her own and pull, she saw a flash of red lipstick and a bright red jacket, then a buzz-cut man with tattoos. She realized Jane had pulled her into a windmill and headed towards Mack. The man was one of the punk band guitarists.

Mack saw the flash of red, then the guy with a shaved head, then Andrea's grey long-sleeve shirt. He tried to get out of the way, but Jane and the guy grabbed his arms and jerked him around and he plowed chest first into Andrea.

Andrea almost went down under Mack. The people behind her prevented it; then she pushed Mack away and smiled as Jane pulled him back, Andrea in tow.

The four of them spun through the pit, bouncing around and taking down several groups of people until the band playing finally finished, letting people catch their collective breath.

Andrea held on to Mack's hand as they walked back to their table. Jane made eye contact with Andrea and tilted her head to the women's room.

"I'll be back, Mack. Not bad for a newbie." She turned and followed Jane to the bathroom.

"So what's up with you and Mack?" Jane was leaning against the sink, wiping the sweat off her face with a napkin.

"Nothing. I was coming here, and he happened to ride along. Why do you care?" Andrea lifted her lip, looking at the gash Jodie's slap left in her mouth in the mirror.

"Just curious. You don't have to be hostile, Andrea."

"I'm not. I'm always this unpleasant." Andrea smiled, showing her teeth.

Jane's response was a laugh. "For a Goth, you're okay."

"Speak for yourself, Twinkie." Andrea admired Jane's attitude. She certainly moved well in the pit.

"Twinkie?" Jane eye's lifted, curious about the remark.

"Soft outside, softer inside. And still sweet." Andrea splashed water on her face, washing her sweat off, then turned back to Jane and said, "Thanks ."

"Huh?" Jane crossed her arms, waiting.

"For helping break in Mack. It was his first time in a pit." Andrea touched Jane's shoulder, then turned around and walked out.

When Andrea sat back down, Mack was holding his Hyper-Cola in his hands, watching the ice melt and the bubbles rise.

"What was that all about."

"Chick stuff. I told her I was getting horny for you." Andrea kept her eyes averted, waiting for the response.

Mack spit his soda out and started choking, his eyes almost popping out. "You did what?"

"I told her thanks for helping break you into the pit. Some guys take offense to getting hit." Andrea sat down while still laughing. She took a deep drink of her soda; her eyes watering as she looked back up. "Damn, almost breathed it."

"Are you okay?" Mack leaned forward, then eased back when Andrea held her hand up.

"Yeah." Andrea coughed a couple times, then tilted her head toward the pit. "So, you enjoy it?"

"It was, uh, different. Yeah, I think I did." He thought of her leaning over him, breasts touching his arms. He most certainly did enjoy that. But he also enjoyed the energy. The rawness of the physical contact, aggressive and frenzied, yet hands eager to help if a person went down. Always helping.

Mack blinked and smiled. "Yeah, it was cool. I thought I might be…"

"Ostracized because you're black?"

"Yeah. I mean, dreadlocks, skin color."

"I see a man with sexy muscles and a smile." Andrea interrupted. She looked at his arms and held her breath; he was a hunk. "No colors, just a smile."

"Oh." Mack looked at the bar and saw Jane and Daria talking. Jane caught his eyes and smiled, then went back to Daria.

"Daria, one of these days you're going to need to jump into a pit. Your Docs are perfect for it." Jane tapped the side of Daria's boots with her own, then she sat down on the stool. When she saw Mack looking at her, she smiled.

Daria caught the look and narrowed her eyes. "What's the smile for, Amiga."

"You wouldn't understand, Daria. It's a mosh thing." Jane leaned back, chuckling, as Daria looked from Mack to Andrea, then she shook her head.

Andrea finished her drink and tapped Mack on his arm, getting his attention from the people out on the floor dancing.

"What?"

Andrea just held his gaze, her face unreadable. She tilted her head to the floor, letting him know she was going back out.

"Um, okay. Just one thing."

"What?" Andrea was already standing up, ready to go back out.

"Can we do this again tomorrow?" He broke out in a big smile, and Andrea's heart missed a beat.

Jodie slumped in Brittany's car, shocked and embarrassed at her own behavior. Brittany was still sitting in the curb in front of her house. The other cheerleader was already home, having been dropped off on the way to Brittany's.

The more Jodie thought about Mack, the more she missed him. Andrea's word stung her as she played them over in her mind. _"You blew it. You'll never meet a guy as nice as him again."_

"Damn. Damn it to hell!" Jodie started crying again, the tears rolling down her cheeks. When she looked back up, Brittany was sitting beside her.

"Was Mack really going out with that freak?" Brittany looked outside at her parent's home, trying not to embarrass Jodie, but failing.

"I don't know. They were riding together. I guess so." Jodie felt her anger surging back up. How dare Andrea take her Mack out; never mind the fact Jodie said they weren't dating earlier in the week.

"We need to do something to her." Brittany had a foul look on her face as she spoke.

"What can we do? Beat her up? I don't think so, she didn't even flinch when I slapped her." Jodie could still see the look on Andrea's face. Her eyes smiled at her, for heaven's sake. Andrea mocked her, dared her to hit her, and Jodie couldn't even get a reaction out of her.

"We could let the air out of her tires, if we find out where she is." Brittany's eyes lit up as she spoke, though Jodie was concerned. She'd never done anything malicious before.

"They said they were going out. The Zon?" Jodie almost regretted saying it, but then she saw Andrea's look of contempt staring back at her. "Let's check there."

When Brittany pulled up to the parking lot at the Zon, it was packed solid. Jodie motioned for her to pull over on the side of the road, so she did.

Brittany got out of the car, followed by Jodie. When they found Andrea's car, Brittany bent down and unscrewed the valve cap, then started bleeding the air out. Jodie just watched, torn between helping her and not wanting to do something bad.

"Keep a watch, Jodie. I'll handle the goth bitch." Brittany almost stumbled; she caught her blue and yellow shirt on the edge of the bumper but got back up without fanfare. Both driver side tires were flat.

Brittany looked at Jodie and said, "Let's get going." Jodie followed her back to Brittany's car and got in.

"Where to now? It's midnight." Brittany looked more content now; it left Jodie to ponder whether Brittany was responsible for more goings-on such as this.

"I don't know, Brit. Maybe home? I drank too much." Jodie felt pretty tired, and she was still frustrated Andrea had just relegated her as non-consequential.

"Okay, home it is. I could always give Kevin a call, but he's sooo not-college bound now." Brittany drove in silence while Jodie pondered Mack's and Andrea's words to her.

"Hey, Amiga. You ready to leave? It's almost midnight." Jane was still watching the punk-guy, but he was hugging an older woman- only three or four years older, but old enough to drink alcohol. Jane shrugged, wishing she was in college already.

"Yeah. I feel a headache coming on." Daria took another look at Mack and Andrea, the two of them flailing about the pit, sometimes together, sometimes alone. Mack's size ensured he usually was the mosher, not the moshee. Andrea was recognizable by her headband and grey long-sleeve.

Jane caught the look Daria gave Andrea, then she quietly said, "Let it go, Daria. She's more alone than either of us."

Once outside, they saw a car resembling Brittany's pulling away from the side of the road, but neither woman gave it any thought.

-

Andrea almost fell when she was shoved across the moshpit, but Mack shot out an arm and grabbed her right under the armpit, helping keep her up. She looked at him and almost smiled, then she pulled his arm loose and swung him by, taking out a cluster of guys just bouncing in place.

When they all got up, even Mack was laughing. One of the guys slapped him on the back and laughed, then yelled, "Windmill!"

Mack reached out and grabbed one guy's extended forearm, then Andrea was there, holding his other.

Within seconds there were another ten people holding on as they spun, knocking down yet more people then taking the fallen in.

The band wound down, finishing with some punk ballads. Even Mack joined in the refrains. He was mildly self-conscious, but then he realized he wasn't the only African American in the club. The others were older; one was the bassist in the first band. Then it hit him. Everything suddenly felt right.

Andrea was sitting by the time Mack walked back to the table. She handed him a bottle of water and said, "Drink and cool off some. You're soaked."

She upended her own bottle; Mack noted her hair looked nice pulled back; his sleeve performing admirably as a headband.

"Where next, Mack?" Andrea spun the empty bottle on the table; she noticed the looks from Daria when Jane accompanied her out.

"I guess home? It's almost 1 AM, and I want to get an early start tomorrow." He smiled as she looked at his face.

Andrea watched his smile burst across his face; it was contagious enough to make her crack one. "Yeah."

"You don't talk much even outside of school, do you?" Mack took another good look at her; the eyeliner around her eyes made her exotic. Sexy. He looked away before he started staring.

"No." Andrea turned and noticed some of the women were looking lustfully at Mack, taking note of his muscles. Andrea shrugged, positive Mack wasn't interested in her.

"Well, you mind giving me a ride?" Mack stood up and stretched; there was a pat on his back as another punker said, "Dude, you rule. Kickin' moves." The man was gone before Mack recognized him.

"Yeah, I can do that." She tossed her bottle haphazardly at a trash can and watched it drop in.

Mack followed Andrea outside, but when she got to her car, she stopped and looked down. Even from her back, he could tell she was upset. When he walked up, he saw the two flat tires.

"Damn. I can't afford to have these replaced." Andrea crouched down and looked at the tires; both were almost brand new, and she didn't see any holes. The valve caps were missing.

Mack stood there, wanting to comfort her, but he didn't know how she would respond, so he kept to himself. "Andrea, I could call a cab."

"No. I'll call my mother." Andrea reached into her car to get her phone, but stopped when Mack touched her shoulder.

"Um, I could always run and get my car; it only a couple miles away. Gimme fifteen minutes."

"I'll walk with you. My car is fine here." She looked at his hand on her shoulder, and he promptly removed it.

They walked mostly in silence. There was very little traffic, though it was almost two AM by the time they reached the PayDay parking lot. Mack unlocked the passenger side first, letting Andrea in, then he went back around to unlock his door.

Andrea already had the door unlocked and open when he stuck his key in. "Thanks, Andrea." She took a deep breath and smelled Jodie's perfume in the car. The smell was cloyingly sweet.

"Jodie rode in here a lot?"

"Yeah. She doesn't have her license yet. Too busy with school, I guess." Mack looked back at Andrea and saw the split on her lip, wondering how mad she was at Jodie.

Andrea gave him the directions home, and he started off. After a minute of silence, he said, "I'm sorry about tonight. I'm really sorry she hit you."

Andrea chuckled, her voice not the usually soft contralto. She held out her arm and rolled up her sleeve, revealing a large scar across her upper arm and shoulder. Mack almost missed the red light he was staring so hard.

"What… What happened?"

"My old man put me through our porch door." After a couple more seconds, she added, "Jodie's slap was nothing." Andrea shrugged, dropping the subject.

Mack drove in silence the rest of the way, amazed Andrea kept so quiet about the abuse.  
When he pulled up to her house, Andrea looked over at him. He still had a startled look on his face.

"Don't sweat it. He's not around." Andrea lingered a moment more, then she opened the door and climbed out, wishing she could say something more.

Mack watched her walk up the sidewalk to her house, wanting to say something, but she opened the door and went inside.

He drove home in silence, reflecting on the night's events from the restaurant to Jodie showing up, then on to the club and dancing.

"Moshing. With Andrea." He shook his head, still amazed at how much he enjoyed his evening with her. Mack thought about that as he opened the door and walked up the steps. Then he thought to his words asking if she would be willing to do it again tomorrow.

She never answered the question, and he didn't have a phone number.

-

Mack was up early, though his body was protesting lightly for staying up late. When he went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror, he saw several bruises on his chest and ribs. After a couple moments to reflect, he decided running would help loosen him up for a workout later. Skipping rope was a non-issue. He didn't want to deal with his mother and her complaining about the noise for once.

It would mean a ninety-minute later start, but Mack considered working out before stretching the cramps out; deciding the run was better to do first. He slipped into his running clothes and bounded out the door, avoiding any parental contact.

An hour later, he was jogging home from the park, loose and not quite as sore from the bruises. When he walked inside, his mother was waiting for him.

"Michael, Jodie called while you were out. She wanted to apologize for argu… What happened to your face, young man?" He watched his mother stare at his lip. He rubbed his tongue over it and said nothing, wanting to just leave for the gym.

"Michael, I won't ask you again." She reached for his jaw, but he recoiled away.

"Then don't. It's nothing." Mack wanted to tell her it was Perfect Little Jodie, the millionaire's daughter, but he didn't; he felt the bile in his gut rise as he forced her out of his head.

"Nothing doesn't give you a fat lip." She crossed her hands across her chest, then stepped aside and let Mack pass.

Mack ran up the stairs and changed to a cleaner shirt, then he grabbed his gym bag and ran back down. Before he walked outside, he turned to his mother and said, "I slipped and bumped my face." 

-

Mack was pulling into the gym when he saw what looked like Andrea's car coming down the road from the opposite direction. Intrigued, he took the first spot open. Andrea was driving the car, and she pulled into the other entrance, parking on the other side of the lot.

Mack grabbed his bag and jogged over to her as she was climbing out. He almost dropped his bag when he saw her muscle tone. She always wore baggy shirts and flowing dresses otherwise.

"Hey Andrea. You got everything fixed already?"

"Hey Mack. There were no holes in the tires." Andrea paused, as if letting tension build, then added, "I found this."

Mack took the piece of fabric from her hand; it was just a torn thread, but it was instantly recognizable as coming from the shirt Brittany wore the night before, the blue and yellow scrap pointing a finger at the culprit.

"Um… What are you gonna do?" Mack half-expected her to throw something, curse, or yell, but all she did was take the scrap of fabric and stick it in her bag.

"Nothing. No point in it." Andrea turned and walked toward the gym entrance, then she noticed Mack was following her. "You following me?"

"No, just got here, right as you pulled up. I did my run earlier." Mack held the door open for her and she glided under his reach.

They both flashed their cards and walked down the hall. When Andrea followed him into the weight room, he dropped his gym bag in surprise. "You work out with weights?"

Andrea turned around and set her bag down. She hopped onto the dip bar, and lowered herself, her elbows forming an L with her upper and lower arms. "Twenty reps. Three sets."

Andrea slowly extended her arms, lifting her body up. Mack watched, enthralled, as she completed the first set, holding herself in the up position. "Damn, girl."

Mack watched her as she did the other two sets, though he was doing preacher curls on a nearby bench. Andrea went through her weights at a steady pace, not rushing anything. Then it hit Mack- her form was near perfect, like she'd been coached.

"How long have you been lifting, Andrea?" She paused, midway between some flys with dumbbells.

"Since I was a fat sophomore... I started training that summer." She pulled her hands up again, tapping the weights and lowering them. No need mentioning about her father. That was the other reason.

After twenty more minutes, Andrea walked up to the counter and checked out a jump rope and some gloves. Mack bench pressed the barbell up and lowered it into place, then he stood up and followed her.

When he heard the rope snapping against the floor, he almost smiled, realizing how Andrea had such good endurance. That and dancing.

Andrea stopped after her first five minute set and turned, feeling the eyes on her. Mack was smiling when she saw his face, then she noticed the rope in his hands.

"Creepy. You skip rope too?" Andrea looked at him surprised, then she pulled off her sweatshirt, revealing a black lycra top with a sports bra underneath.

"Speak for yourself. Don't know any other girls… Ah, women that can do sixty total dips and follow it with a full weight regimen." He tried to not stare at her, and failed. She had a robust and beautiful physique.

After couple more five-minute sets of jumping, Andrea set the rope down and pulled her gloves on, then she walked over to the speed bag.

Mack finished his rope-skipping exercises and watched Andrea drill the bag; perplexed he'd sat in front of her in so many classes and never really noticed her up until last night.

Mack escorted Andrea to her car; quietly fascinated with the woman he knew so little about. Over three years they shared many classes together. The fact Andrea was bright was obvious. While he was used to Jodie and even Daria being some of the best and brightest in LHS, he was just realizing Andrea also sat in many of those classes.

She was different, truly unique in a school that had more cliques than classes. The only guy he ever saw her date was Charles, and that obviously didn't work out.

"Umm, you still thinking about going out dancing? Uh, moshing tonight?"

"I work till Ten this evening. But I'm off tomorrow, so maybe. The DJ at the Zon tonight is a good one." Andrea had her door open and was climbing in when Mack finally got his nerve up.

"Hey. Can I tag along? I really had a good time last night." Mack watched Andrea turn her head away, but the answer came out clear.

"Sure. You pay for gas, though." Andrea swore a breath of relief as she closed to the door, thankful Mack hadn't seen the look on her face when he asked. Him!

Mack watched her drive away, then he realized he still didn't have her phone number. "Damn. I did it again."

Mack hopped in his car and drove home, wishing he could skip work and fast-forward to the evening. When he pulled up to his house, though, he was shocked to see Brittany's car out front. Jodie was on the porch steps, talking to his mother, while Brittany sat in her car.

"Hey Mack." Jodie came running up to his car, waiting as he got out..

"Yo." Mack wanted to snap at her, but he held his tongue. Regardless of how Jodie was acting, it was for the benefit of his own mother for him to be civil.

"I'm really sorry we argued last night. Is there any way I can make it up?" Jodie leaned in, the living embodiment of cliché.

"Yeah. Maybe you can find something out for me. You know, as one good friend to another."

Mack's mother was listening in on the conversation as Mack walked up the driveway with Jodie; her hand on his arm.

"Sure, anything, Mack." Jodie was determined to not start anything, but she felt something bad was going to happen.

"Well, I went clubbing last night, and wouldn't you know the car I rode in had its tires sabotaged. All the air was let out." Mack wanted to call her out on it, but kept his mouth shut.

Jodie's hand dropped off his arm as he sensed her entire attitude shift.

"Huh, don't know anything about that. Maybe the rumor-mill will, you know, reveal something." Jodie felt awkward as Mack's mother turned, trying to hear every last bit of dialog.

"Oh, you remember Andrea, right? The girl you slapped last night. It was her car." Mack hefted his bag and strode past Jodie and his mother, both their mouths wide open.

When he closed his bedroom door, he finally let his breath go. He muttered, "Damn you. I hope Andrea does bust your grill if you try that crap again." Mack grabbed his towel and some clean underwear, then headed to the bathroom; he had forty minutes before work, plenty of time to gloat.

Mack stepped out of the bathroom and walked to his room, but when he opened the door, his mother was waiting, sitting at his desk.

"Michael, that was very rude of you to say to Jodie. She said you were cheating on her with some druggie."

"Cheating? Cheating, huh? Then why the hell did she tell me earlier last week we weren't dating. How can it be cheating if we're not even dating?" Mack was visibly angry; his mother sitting in his room while he only wore his boxers and a towel made it worse. He was vulnerable.

"That's not what she told me. She also said you were at some... Drug-club. Michael MacKenzie, why are you acting like this? We've always supported everything you do, and now you just throw it all..."

"It was the Zon, not a drug-club. Some bands were playing, and no, I wasn't the only black guy there."

"That's not the question, Michael. Jodie said you were with some drug addict."

"Andrea Hecuba, a druggie? She was in the same classes as me and little Miss Landon for the last three years, mother. Honor grad, you know? AP classes, the exact same ones I took with Jodie. And besides, we only went dancing."

"Mack, I'm not going to listen to this. Jodie is really hurt because you left her."

"I left her? That's what she says? Did she tell you she gave me my fat lip, too? Little Miss Landon only cares about herself. I only realized it recently, but it's been that way for a long time. So when you say I hurt her, you really mean I hurt you by not begging her to come back, right?"

Mack shrugged and sat on his bed, pulling on the socks he had lain out. When he pulled his black trousers on his mother finally spoke again.

"That's not true. She just has a lot of drive to succeed."

"She has a lot of drive to feed her ego. Regardless of how we broke up, I'm done with her." Mack pulled his shirt on, then buttoned up the front and adjusted his collar.

"Michael, she's the only other black girl around."

"So that's the whole thing, huh? She's black, and she's rich. Or at least her father is." He pulled his tie and adjusted it, the tip coming exactly to his belt buckle.

Her voice was soft as she said, "No, that's not the issue." Mack could hear the aggravation in his mother's voice, but he couldn't stop now that he had momentum.

Mack finally spoke in a soft tone, almost hushed. "So what would you do if I brought home a woman? A white one. With tattoos and piercings? Would you kick me out? Disown me? What if I eventually had mixed children?"

Mack left his mother in his room as he walked down the stairs, opened the door, and headed out to his car.

-

Andrea slipped on her bathrobe after getting out of the shower. When she opened the door, her mother was vacuuming, but she shut it off when Andrea walked by.

"Your father came by while you were at the gym, Andrea. He wants to talk to you about college."

"Father? That's what he thinks he is?" Andrea could still remember when she was a freshman and got her first piercing. He was so mad he slapped her around and then shoved her through the plate glass sliding door, the fall breaking her collarbone and getting her arm and shoulder cut to ribbons in the process. Therapy took months, but at least it got her into weight-lifting. The names he called her, though. Circus freak was the least offensive. "He's a beast."

"I'm sorry Andrea. I know you don't… Can't tolerate him. I told him you won't speak to him again."

The weariness in her mother's eyes suggested they argued while Andrea was at the gym.

"You should have told him I never want to see him again." Andrea leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. Andrea pushed the thoughts back and took a deep breath. She needed to relax.

She felt her anger subside, then said, "Mom, do you mind if I'm out late tonight? There's a good DJ spinning at the Zon."

"Yes Andrea. I do mind, but I know you'll go anyway. Just… Behave. Stay out of trouble." She finally looked back up and smiled at her daughter. "I know. You'll be fine."

"I'm working until Ten. Mind if I grab the leftovers for my dinner?"

"Feel free. Bring your dishes home though." Both women stood up straight, then Andrea hugged her mother.

"And why the hug, Andrea."

"Because you care." Andrea thought about the restraining order her mother took out on her husband for Andrea. It happened the week after Andrea got her job.

"Andrea."

"Yeah?" Andrea pulled out some faded black jeans, her boots, and a black jersey cut shirt, then in afterthought, she grabbed the small circlet she used the night before to keep the hair out of her eyes.

"I'm sorry I can't afford tuition right now." Andrea saw the tears welling up in her mother's eyes, and there was nothing she could do to comfort her mother.

"I'll be okay." Andrea slid her boots on and adjusted the buckles, then she pulled her shirt over her bra. "I'm in no rush to go."

Andrea walked into the kitchen and grabbed the plate of left-overs then she waved good bye to her mother and headed out the door.

-

Mack sat outside on a milk-crate sipping some water. The day's customers were abnormally nice and even-keeled. The tips were good; the only problem was two co-workers called in sick. He was looking at working till closing, which meant till all the customers were done eating.

He stood up and walked back inside, frustrated at a late shift ruining his evening's plans.

-

Andrea pushed the float laden with freight down the aisle. The store was nearly empty save for employees; it was almost closing time. Which meant two more hours, but the last two always flew by.

She pulled the last load out, thankful to survive another evening of total boredom stocking shelves with oversize cans of barbecue sauce, pickles, and bleach.

Two hours later, Andrea waited in line to punch out; as her turn came she held the punch-card in her hand and thrust down, feeling the ker-chunk as the jaws grabbed the paper and left their mark. Then she dropped the card into her slot in the time-card cabinet. After washing her hands and face, she followed the other employees out the door.

Andrea sat in her car for several minutes as she tried to figure out what her next move was. Mack wasn't around, and she didn't know where he lived. But she did know where he worked.

-

Mack was serving desert to an elderly couple when he caught sight of the car through the restaurant's window. It was half-past Eleven, and he knew she got off at Ten.

He pocketed the twenty dollar tip, surprised at the couple. They had only spent a few dollars more on their entire meal, which consisted of senior portion salads and desert. After washing up and removing his tie, he punched out and walked out the back door to his car- and hers.

Andrea saw him walking up and she rolled her window down. "You're late." That was all she said.

"I'm sorry, Andrea. Two people called in sick, so I had an extended shift. I meant to call, but I don't have a phone anymore, and uh, I don't have your number." Mack shrugged and added, "I don't even have anything to wear ."

"We could swing by your house." Andrea realized what she said and closed her mouth with a snap.

"Um, I guess. Your car or mine?"

"Both. I'll follow you." Andrea felt a small thrill, knowing she would find out where he lived shortly.

Mack pulled up to his parent's house and parked out front. The porch light was still on, as well as the living room light. "Damn, they're both still up?"

Andrea parked behind Mack's car and got out of her car. Mack came walking up and spoke softly. "Um, Andrea, my parents are kinda mad at me right now. You might want to stay here and let me change."

She felt her heart drop a notch, sensing he was embarrassed or something similar to have a white girl with him- a white girl with piercings, henna eyeliner, and a tattoo or two, though Mack didn't know about those. Not yet.

Mack opened the door and his father looked up. "You're home late. We need to talk, Michael." His father got up and walked to the stairwell, but he looked outside before he did so. Mack caught the motion from his father to his mother.

"Is that your new girlfriend?" Mack's father made the word sound like profanity.

"We're friends. Andrea sat behind me in all my AP classes, dad. Dad!" His father was already out on the porch, looking out at Andrea as she leaned against her car.

"She's white. And she looks like a freak." Mack's father turned around and gave him a dirty look. "Jodie not good enough for you? Not _wild_ enough?"

Mack stood there, his anger smoldering.

Andrea could tell something was going on, and as much as she didn't want to intervene, she could tell she was the reason. Before she knew it, she was walking up to them.

"Hi. I'm Andrea." She stood a few feet away, feeling the MacKenzie's eyes on her.

Mack's father turned around and looked back at him, then he gestured Mack inside, as well as his mother. Mack looked at Andrea; he gestured she stay outside, then he turned and followed his parents inside.

His father turned and faced him. "What the hell, Michael? She's dressed like a circus act. What's with the heavy eyeliner and piercings? Is she an actress? Or a prost..."

"If you say it, I swear to god you'll regret it." Mack interrupted; his fists were clenched, and though his father was larger, Mack wasn't backing down. "I'm not scared of you?"

"We brought you up better than that, Michael. You certainly have changed since you graduated. Maybe Jodie..."

"Would you _please_ leave Jodie out of this? She _dumped_ me. She's the one who said." Mack was grinding his teeth as he spoke, his nerves fraying more with every second.

"You will not interrupt me again, Michael MacKenzie, or you will go to your room. And don't ever talk to your mother that way again. Do you hear me?" His father's eyes were flinty points of darkness.

"Dad, I'm eighteen, and my girlfriend for the last three years dumped me. I had a bad day at work yesterday and some customers gave me some racist crap…"

"And that has nothing to do with the white girl out front dressed like a circus sideshow." Mack's mother interrupted, getting her own two cent's in edgewise.

"Just for once can't you let me do what I want? I played the sports, joined the clubs, and got the grades you wanted me to. Jodie… Heh. You know, Jodie has never put me in front of her school activities?" Mack leaned against the wall, feeling the fury building.

After several quiet moments, Mack spoke up again, this time in a softer, more sinister voice. "And you know what? I could care less about anything else right now aside from Andrea. About Jodie, about college, and about what you two think of my friends. Andrea and I went dancing last night and had a good time."

Mack watched his father step back, looking at Mack in a new light; he looked to his wife and both sat down on the couch.

Andrea heard the words his parents said. Coming from other students in a high school was one thing; high schoolers were petty and immature. The undertones of Mack being too good for her, being the wrong color, the wrong, well, everything- it hit home much harder than she expected. A tear slipped down her cheek as she walked back to her car. She was numb from the shock.

She sat in the car with the key in the ignition for several minutes before finally starting the car. "Prostitute? Circus freak?" The tears flowed as she drove away, more hurt than she ever had been before.

When Mack finally looked at his parents again, he could see both were confused.

"Michael… Mack. We only want the best for you. Jodie is the only black girl in town your age."

"Why do I have to date a black girl? What if I was attracted to an oriental or white girl, or a Latina?" Mack felt his rage slip away, finally getting his parents to understand his side of the story.

"But she's so popular, and she's successful." Mack's mother kept bringing it up.

"She's got an ego the size of Rhode Island. You never fail to bring up the fact she's rich. Is that what you want? For me to be wealthy?"

Mack's father answered. "Of course, we want you to be successful."

"What if I just wanted to be happy? I'll be successful at whatever I do. But I can't say I'll be happy. And right now the girl out front." Mack looked out into the street.

Andrea's car was gone.

"Thanks. Thanks a lot. She's gone. She probably heard your comments." Mack ran up to his room and slammed the door shut, so angry he was almost on the verge of tears.

Mack sat on his bed staring at the sleeveless shirt he wore the night before. The dirty clothes from the previous evening were draped on the edge of his clothes basket; doing his laundry would be a requirement the following day.

He was trying to analyze his feelings for his newest friend when a soft knock came to his door. He ignored it

Andrea drove around town aimlessly, trying to forget the words she had just heard. The words kept coming back. Prostitute. Circus Freak. The very same words her own father said before he slapped her around the living room. Before he shoved her through the sliding-glass door.

When she parked in PayDay's empty lot, she realized they were pre-judging her. Andrea also realized they were a unique family in Lawndale. One of only a few black families, and not as well off as the other principal black family; the Landons. When that realization hit her, she gave pause, understanding some of the prejudice. She sat back in her seat and cut the car off, realizing by leaving she couldn't prove Mack's parents wrong in their first impression. The thought hit her like a brick, leaving her wracked with anger at herself as much as Mack's parents. The tears kept flowing.

"Michael? Please, open the door." His mother's voice was soft, but he could hear the regret in it. Furious, he turned the music on his headphones up louder.

The knock at his door was persistent. Mack finally threw his headphones down; staring at the doorknob. He finally stood up, slowly, and walked to the door.

"Why? You want to belittle a girl I like some more just because she doesn't meet your requirements?" His voice was angry. And he was sure his parents could hear the anger through the door.

"We want to talk to you, Michael. Please." His mother's voice was plaintive, and he felt the anger resurge as he gripped the knob and opened the door.

He sat back down at his desk and faced his computer while his parents filed in.

"Michael, I'm sorry… Son." His father's voice carried the heavy tone of regret, knowing forgiveness would not come easily this time.

Mack perused the internet without even really focusing. His mind was in a funk over the last thirty minutes.

"Michael, please. We had no idea you were interested in a… A white girl." His mother was on the verge of tears; he could tell by her quavering voice.

"Son."

"You never asked. You just assume everything about me, don't you? Mack will get good grades. Mack will play football. Mack will date the popular black girl in town. Mack will… Damn." He was still facing his computer, but he couldn't focus on the screen; his eyes were tearing up.

He felt the hand on his shoulder; it was all he could do to not pull away.

"Mack, do you care about her?"

"Jodie? She can be a decent girl. Ego-tripper, though. We're not the same type of..."

"Not her. The other girl. The white one." Mack could hear the tension in his father's voice. His father would think Mack was a boy until he either graduated with a degree, found a real job, or he had kids of his own. It's just the way it was.

"I enjoy her company." Mack was still trying to analyze his feelings for her. He definitely felt lust toward Andrea. She was robustly built, not like Jodie. And Andrea could dance very well. Her passive-aggressive attitude was a real turn-on, too. So unlike Jodie, Andrea just meshed without trying to lead or direct. Maybe more than lust? They shared the same taste in music, for sure.

"Michael, why her? Why not someone like that cheerleader? The busty one? Or your friend Daria. She's cute, and she..."

"Brittany's an airhead. I would rather date Kevin than her. And Daria… She's… We're similar in many ways. But she's not my type." Mack thought of Daria, her trim figure, the incredible brain behind the glasses, the sense of cynicism they shared. And found he just couldn't relate to her on the intrinsic level he needed to. She came across as a spoiled brat. Granted, he wasn't close enough to know for sure, but she wasn't like Jane. She also wasn't inclined to athletic endeavors. She didn't dance.

"But why Andrea? She's so… Different. Those piercings and that eyeliner." Mack heard the frustration in his mother's voice subsiding. A good sign.

"It's called Mendhi. Andrea uses henna to outline her eyes." After a short pause, he added, "She's beautiful." Mack sighed, starting to understand why he liked her.

"Beautiful? Michael, she has..."

"Andrea is my friend. Mom, I never tried to judge anybody, just the way you taught me. I'd appreciate you not judging my friends." Mack finally looked at his mother. He went wide-eyed as the tears dropped from her eyes.

The silence grew until his father spoke up again. "Michael, I… I'm sorry. I didn't realize you liked white girls."

"I like all girls, dad. I could care less about their race, ethnicity, whatever." He thought of Tiffany, and wondered what she'd be like if she developed her own identity. And Daria's sister, Quinn. She was starting to mature, mentally, as well as physically. But he couldn't see himself dating any of them. Not even Jane, and he was truly attracted to her.

"But Andrea is different. I felt something when I danced with her. She didn't see me as The Popular Black Guy. She saw me as Mack. I was just somebody to dance with." He momentarily smiled as he thought of holding her hand as they spun madly around the floor, knocking others down as they themselves fell.

"Just someone to dance with? Is that it? You feel attraction for her because she didn't treat you special?" His father looked at him, trying to understand.

"That's exactly why I enjoyed being with her. She didn't treat me special." Mack stood up and turned the seat around, looking at both his parents. The ensuing silence was uncomfortable.

After an eternity, Mack's mother looked back up at Mack, the tears still on her face, then she put her arm around her husband. "I'm sorry, Michael. I only want the best for you."

"Then I guess I own her an apology." The senior MacKenzie looked his son in the eyes, then turned away, unable to keep contact.

Mack watched his father turn around slowly and walk out, looking twenty years older. His mother followed suit. Before his mother left, she turned around and paused.

After a moment, she finally said, "If Andrea can forgive us, bring her by."

Mack stood still for a full minute, realizing what his next actions needed to be.

He stripped off his shoes and pants, then grabbed some jeans and his boots. He was halfway down the stairs when he realized he was still wearing a button up shirt. But right now it didn't matter, and he had an undershirt anyway.

As he ran out the door, he saw his father come jogging after him. He caught up as Mack opened his car door. When he turned, his father said, "Michael... Mack. You're doing what you think is right."

When he closed the door, he saw a twinkle in his father's eye. One of respect, if not exactly approval.

-

Mack drove straight to the Zon, but when he passed PayDay, he saw her car sitting off to the side, not concealed but not readily visible. As he pulled up, he saw her sitting in the car with the lights off. He came to a stop and got out, walking up to her door.

Andrea was sitting in her car, her head in her arms over the steering wheel. "Andrea?" Mack tapped on her window; Andrea looked up, startled.

"Andrea, can we talk?" He crouched down, unsure of what she would do.

"Hey, Mack. Come to taunt the white girl? The freak?" Her voice, while angry wasn't as bad as he was afraid of.

"Andrea, I came by to see if you still wanted to go to the Zon. The DJ is supposed to be there till 4 AM ." After a moment, he added, "I really wanted to spend some time with you..." Mack trailed off when he saw the look on her face.

Andrea looked up at him, curious over his choice of words. He didn't try to argue with her, he stated he wanted her company. Andrea felt a small flicker of hope, though his parent's words were still haunting her.

"Get in."

Andrea was about to reach over when Mack said, "I'm really sorry about my parents."

"I'll live. I have thick skin." Andrea thought of her father again and closed her eyes, opening them a moment later to see Mack looking at her face. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Did anyone ever tell you you're beautiful?"

"What?" Andrea went wide eyed at his comment and dropped the keys as she tried putting them in the ignition.

"I mean it." Mack turned his head away, obviously embarrassed at the intimate statement. Then he added, "My parents want to apologize to you. I… I kinda went off on them."

Andrea sat there, stunned at his words. When she finally picked up the keys, she looked at him and said, "I can't. Not yet. I like you Mack, but after what they said."

"They are starting to understand some things about me they just assumed they knew."

Andrea caught the undercurrent of his words and was piqued. "And?"

"And they told me they wanted to meet you, if you'll give them another chance." Mack could feel his own embarrassment for his parents flush across his face.

"Not now. I'd rather… Can we go the Zon?" Andrea turned the keys to start the car, then she reached over and unlocked the passenger door.

Mack climbed in, then he remembered he was still wearing his button up shirt. He started unfastening the buttons, remembering how most of the people were dressed there.

Andrea looked askance as he removed his shirt, revealing a wife-beater tank top underneath. His dark skin rolled with his musculature, and it was all Andrea could do not to stare. After a moment to think about his last words, she spoke up. "Your parents apologized?"

"Kinda. I think they didn't realize the windows were open. That's no excuse." His voice went quiet when he saw her eyes narrow.

"Mack, those were my father's words before he hit… Before he hit me." Andrea swallowed once as a knot of pain crept up her throat.

Mack sat in silence as she told him of her coming home with a small diamond stud in her nose. And the verbal abuse by her father; the shouting back and forth until he hit her. One time, then another, and another. Andrea trying to defend herself as best she could. Then he punched her in the face and shoved her through the plate glass of the patio door.

Then her mother calling the police; tending to her daughter's broken collarbone and trying to staunch the blood flowing from her shoulder and upper arm.

Then the police escorting her father away in handcuffs, and the anger in his eyes.

By the time Andrea finished, Mack felt his own eyes becoming misty; Andrea was crying freely. When he touched her arm to get her attention, she looked over to him.

"Andrea, I'm so sorry."

"I'll live." Andrea pulled into the Zon's parking lot. There were still a lot of cars present; it was just after Midnight.

Mack walked up with Andrea, feeling embarrassed over the way she was crying, but surprisingly not so over his own tears. The fact bothered him; he would normally be mortified if another man saw him crying.

Andrea walked into the Zon and assessed the floor as she took in the music. Industrial music called for a different dance than the moshpit. Still aggressive, but one of little or no contact.

Mack saw Andrea look out at the floor. The people out there weren't moshing about; instead they were swinging around, feet and arms flowing about. Mack recognized the music. Ministry, a band he wasn't familiar enough with to know all their works, but enjoyable. Andrea stepped in immediately.

He watched her, entranced at her movements. It was almost moshing without contact; each person dancing by his or herself. He found he was yearning to go out as well, but instead he watched Andrea moving about. Even without a dress, she was easily noticeable.

Andrea took in Mack watching her as she moved about the floor; she could tell he wanted to go out as well, but was more than likely intimidated.

Three songs later, Andrea walked off the floor and over to the bar. "The usual, Joe. And a water, too."

Andrea returned to the table with two drinks, one obviously alcoholic. Mack took the drink she offered, the water.

"What are you drinking?"

"Vodka." Andrea upended the glass and drained it, the set it down on the table. "I only drink one, and only when I'm in a bad mood. Joe knows how to tell."

"Joe?"

"The bartender. A friend." Andrea left it at that, watching Mack's demeanor change.

"Oh." Mack sipped on his water as he felt a trace of jealousy.

"You jealous?" Andrea almost smiled; so much sorrow and frustration, and she was almost smiling.

"Um." Mack realized he was. "Yeah, a little."

"Come with me, I got something to show you." Andrea got back up and Mack followed, wondering what would happen next. When she stopped at the bar and called the bartender over, Mack started to get concerned. The bartender was average height but had thick arms. He was definitely older, too.

"Joe, show him your ink."

The bartender turned around and slipped his shirt up, revealing a coiled snake on his back. Then Mack realized the snake had wings; stylized like the Aztec feathered serpent he studied in History.

"Quetzalcoatl?" Mack remembered the name from class.

"You show him yours, Andrea?" Joe smiled as he lowered his shirt.

"Not yet. Maybe he'll see the full tattoo." Andrea smiled, in spite of herself. Joe chuckled, then he walked across the bar to help another customer.

"Mack, follow me." Andrea walked toward the bathrooms and beckoned he follow. When they were closer, she turned around and said, "Look."

She turned back around and lifted her shirt partway, revealing a similar tattoo, only larger. The details were lost under her pants and above her bra-strap.

"Whoa." Mack was left speechless. The artwork, though done only in black ink, was exquisitely detailed. Andrea lowered her shirt, then turned back around.

"That's why I get a free drink. He likes my ink. Plus he thinks I'm not a lost cause."

As the music shifted to another industrial tune, Andrea touched his hand and pulled him closer. "Think you can dance to this?"

Mack listened to the music; the pace was fast, but definitely something he could move to.  
"I guess."

"C'mon." Andrea was gone in a flash.

Mack followed her, but when he stepped onto the floor, several other people moved aside for him. Perplexed, he looked at them; one was a thin Asian girl that looked hauntingly familiar. She moved away before he could get a closer look, the strobe lights overhead making everything appear to be a stop-motion film of real life.

He caught sight of Andrea flowing across the floor; and then it dawned on him. Each person was unique in movements; this was a dance of self. Mack smiled and kept dancing, letting the music consume him. Time flew as the two would often pass near each other, then drift apart with changes in the beat.

Andrea watched from the edge of the floor; Mack fell into the music instantly. As the songs changed, the people on the floor adapted and changed, Mack among them. Andrea also caught his glance at the Asian girl. The one nobody ever suspected of having any identity, and she smiled. Late nights at the Zon were for the misfits and outcasts.

After some time, Andrea caught up with Mack at the table, and both sat down.

"Hey, Andrea, I think I saw."

"Leave it. She doesn't want anybody to know." Then after another quiet minute, she spoke back up.

"Mack, I'm off today. I'd like to… I want to meet your parents. I thought about it while I danced, and if they're willing to apologize, I'll accept it." Andrea thought of him out on the dance floor, willing to try new things, and it impressed her. Mack was everything she thought he could be, and more.

"Andrea, that the longest sentence I've heard from you." Mack barely suppressed a grin, and not only for his joke. She was willing to meet his parents. When he looked at the wall clock; it was almost Three-thirty AM, and the crowd had thinned out a lot.

"Later today." Andrea sighed; she was still mad at them, but she also learned from her mother to move on and forgive, as much as possible. His parents didn't know her. Once they did, she would accept their judgment.

Ten minutes later they walked out of the Zon, and when Andrea put her hand in Mack's as they walked back to her car, he pulled her closer. When they reached her car, he stopped her with a gentle tug.

"What?" Andrea felt the pull on her hand.

Mack sat across from Andrea, still amazed at himself for the kiss. It was brief, but in that singular moment, Mack understood where his feelings for her were going, and how it differed from his relationship with Jodie. Andrea looked up at him as he tugged on her arm, curiosity in her eyes. When she grabbed his hand as they walked out of the Zon, they were both soaked with sweat, Mack keenly aware he might not smell fresh after a full day at the restaurant, the argument with his parents, and several hours of dancing. Andrea still held on, oblivious to anything malodorous.

She held his hand as they walked outside to her car. There was a moment of curiosity in her eyes, then she turned her head, exposing her neck as if in submission. Mack succumbed to his desire and reached down to her, kissing her briefly on her neck. The part that really confused him was he bit her gently during the kiss. Mack had never tried anything so kinky with Jodie, and would surely have been slapped if he did. Andrea didn't slap him. In fact, all she did was pull away gently long moments after the kiss and opened the door of her car.

"I'm sorry, Andrea." Mack blushed, the heat crossing his face, not knowing what she would do about his kiss.

"Hm." Andrea didn't look at him as she drove to PayDay's parking lot. She was carved from grey and black stone, no words emanating from her mouth when she pulled up behind his car. After a long awkward moment, he finally spoke again.

"Andrea… I'm really sorry… If I offended you. Damn. I don't know what to say. My parents were complete asses to you. Nothing has gone right since I left the gym with you this morning. The long shift at work. My folks. And I just kissed…"

"Shush." She reached over and put her finger across his lips, but it was all she said. Mack found his mouth slamming shut in compliance. He was now quite certain she did not approve of the kiss, especially after everything else. She still wasn't looking at him- her profile unreadable. Finally, Mack opened his door, shaking his head as he climbed out.

When he shut the door, Andrea already had the car in gear and was driving off, leaving Mack alone to contemplate his actions.

Saddened by the latest turn of events, he got in his car and drove home, too unhappy to listen to any more music. When he pulled up to his house, all the lights were off, and when he unlocked the door, his parents weren't awake to further berate or judge him.

Relieved and at the same time frustrated there would be no confrontation, he trudged up the steps and into his room, peeling his clothes off and hopping in bed, not caring about body odor or anything save the dark haired woman he spent the night dancing with- who now rejected him.

-

Andrea drove back home, fearful for what she felt in the brief contact of his kiss. She knew she lusted for him; what female wouldn't? Mack was handsome, intelligent, and had a great wit, though cynical. Which is part of why she felt the attraction to him. So many years he was there, just out of reach, and when she finally could hold him, he kissed her, and she did absolutely nothing to show she wanted more. Andrea found her physical attraction fading into something ever more frightening and terious.

When he sat in her car, an arm's reach away, Andrea felt her desire to be with him and quelled it, knowing how she would lose all her control if he kissed her again. When he bit her, the sensation was orgasmic; Andrea still didn't understand why she turned her head rather than accept a mute and meaningless kiss on her lips. But after thinking about it on the silent drive back to his car; she began to understand her passion was but a small part of how she really felt about him. It terrified her and thrilled her all at once.

She pulled into her mother's driveway and parked the car, then got out and walked slowly to the door. She paused as she opened it; her mother was still awake sitting on the couch reading a book.

"Good morning, Andrea." Her mother never looked up, but Andrea could sense the relief in her voice.

"Mom." Andrea was still numb from the kiss, and didn't feel like speaking. She thought of the small slip of paper she snuck in his work-shirt's pocket, her phone number with a brief note.

"Andrea? Are you okay?" Her mother looked up finally as Andrea slipped her boots off, about to climb the stairs.

"No."

"Don't leave without finishing. Did he hurt you?" Her mother was suddenly at her side, an arm on Andrea's shoulder.

"No. I… He kissed me." Andrea finally looked at her mother's eyes, pleading for help.

"And?"

"Nothing, he just kissed me. One time. A moment is all." Andrea sat down on the steps with a thud, losing all her willpower to withstand her mother's questioning.

"A brief kiss. Did you return it? No. I can tell by your face. Andrea, you're old enough to make decisions about your love-life. All I ask is that you stay protected. I don't want to be a grandmoth…"

"I wanted to. Damn, how I wanted to." The first tears fell from her eyes.

"I'm relieved, but I'm concerned, too. If you want, we can talk on this tomorrow. Well, later today. Andrea, why don't you try to get some sleep? You've been awake twenty hours at least." She put her arms around her daughter and eased her up, though she noticed a small red mark on her neck. Not questioning anything, she ignored it and helped her up the stairs.

Andrea grabbed a towel and stepped into the bathroom, exhausted, and then she took a shower, trying to figure out the newest twists in her life. Mack. His parents. Jodie and Brittany. When she got out of the shower, the hall light was off with no light showing under her mother's door. When Andrea slipped into her bed, all she could think about was a dark face framing beautiful teeth that were gently nipping her neck, claiming her as his own.

-

Mack woke up exhausted. He felt horrible after the emotional roller coaster from the previous night's events, and all he could think about was how Andrea had dropped him off; the tone of her voice not rude, but not inviting. As if things were not going any further. He climbed out of bed and looked at the pile of clothes on the floor. He picked them up and threw them in his laundry basket, contemplating washing his pile of dirty clothes.

Within moments, he pulled his bathrobe on and picked the basket up, then he headed downstairs to start a load. When he started loading the washing machine, a small slip of paper fell out of his work-shirt's pocket. Opening it up, he found some writing and a number. A simple thank you, a phone number, and two initials- an A and an H, followed by an ankh drawing. He stared at it for a full minute before he went back to filling the washing machine, then he went upstairs to take a shower, not quite as upset as he was moments before. After showering, he stepped into his room regretting the destruction of his cell phone.

After getting dressed, Mack ate a bowl of cereal. He was alone in his thoughts when he realized his parents were out, probably shopping. There was no note, but they didn't leave him notes anyway. When he finished eating his cereal, he walked out to his car and got inside, surprised by his decision to go to Andrea's house.

-

Andrea barely slept, tossing and turning as she kept thinking of Mack's kiss and subsequent nip, the ordeal at his parent's home, and the way Jodie had reacted so strongly at seeing Mack with her. When she finally got out of bed, she was soaked in sweat; her shower a few hours before not clearing her mind the way it often did. When she got dressed, she slipped into a black dress and a black short sleeve shirt. Moments later she walked down the steps and saw her mother's note sitting on the counter top, telling her she was sleeping in, as well as mentioning they needed to talk about "stuff".

Andrea sat down on the living room couch with a bowl of cereal, trying to figure out her feelings for Mack. His kiss was still on her neck, the sensation of his teeth and her yielding to him frightening but exciting. She was munching on a mouthful of cereal when she heard the knock at the door. When she looked out the window, she saw Mack's car.

Mack watched the door open slowly, the woman in black stepping back as it swung open.

"Hey. I came by to say hi. Um, talk. You know." Mack knew how stupid he sounded, but Andrea said nothing.

After a moment, he continued. "Andrea, I'm sorry about last night. All of it. I just… I found your note in my, uh, my pocket and wanted to say thanks."

Andrea listened to him stammering, something he never did in school. Something he never did except around her. After he finished talking, she waved him inside.

"Come in. My mother's asleep right now." Then she walked toward the couch and sat down, patting the space beside her.

"Um, thanks." Mack followed her and sat down, but as he did, he saw the small bruise on her neck, right where he kissed her a few hours before. "Damn," he whispered.

"What?" Andrea wasn't looking at him; instead she focused on her cereal.

"I bruised your neck." Mack watched her reach up to her neck and touch the spot lightly, almost a caress.

"Yeah." Andrea touched the spot, feeling the small lump of bruised flesh.

"I'm sorry."

"Why did you bite me?" Andrea wanted an answer; the nip left her feeling strangely complete while at the same time it left her empty, yearning for more. The bite left her breathless if she thought about it for too long.

"Andrea… I can't answer that. I don't know. It just… It seemed the right thing to do. I'm sorry I hurt you." Mack leaned forward, about to stand up, when Andrea's arm shot out to his chest and pushed him back.

"No. Don't be. I'm not." Her voice was a whisper, soft, hushed even. "I'm not hurt."

Andrea drew her hand back slowly, surprised at her reaction when he attempted to leave. "Mack. Can we talk?"

"Sure. About what?" Mack leaned back, missing her touch already.

"Us. Your parents. I told you I want to meet them."

"They're not home right now. Out shopping, I guess. They never leave me a note." Mack was nervous; his parents seemed sincere last night after they finally talked, but he was dubious they felt the same after sleeping on it.

"Then stay here, for now. Please?" Andrea looked at his face and felt herself lose control over her emotions. She leaned over.

"Sure... MMmmmffffff!" Mack felt himself pinned as she leaned over him and pushed him down, covering his mouth with hers. After several long minutes she let up, breathing hard as she sat back up. Mack watched her get back up off him. When she had him pinned down, he realized just how strong Andrea was. She was breathing as heavily as he was, and looked at him almost wild eyed, though a bit of a smile crept across her mouth.

All he could say was, "Wow."

Andrea finally caught her breath after several minutes, the tension in her body slowly draining away. She watched Mack catch his breath, their moment of passion left him looking as weak as she felt. They sat in silence- no words being exchanged, although they spent the entire time looking at each other, one occasionally turning away under the other's scrutiny.

"Um, Andrea?" Mack finally couldn't handle the silence. The tension he just lost in her kiss was coming back, clouding his mind.

"Yeah?" She leaned back, kicking her stocking feet out over the arm of the couch, forcing her over toward Mack.

"I... Why?" He found he couldn't even think when she looked at him the way she did.

"Now you know how I felt last night." She sighed and closed her eyes, trying to empty her mind.

"How you felt? Andrea... I was powerless to stop you. I couldn't push you away, even if I wanted to."

"Bingo." Andrea opened her eyes again, the Mendhi around her eyes enhancing the grey of her pupils. A slight smile finally broke across her mouth. When she saw Mack looking at her face and recognize the smile, she finally grinned. "I was helpless; I wanted to yield to you."

"Whoa."

Mack and Andrea heard the steps on the stairs, then he turned a saw a woman, obviously Andrea's mother, come down the steps. She looked at the two teenagers sitting close on the couch; then a surprised look crossed her face. Mack felt a sinking feeling develop in his stomach as he watched the woman look at her daughter with a questioning countenance.

"Hey, mom. This is, um, Michael MacKenzie. Everyone calls him Mack."

"Hello Michael." As she looked at him, Mack could feel her mind burrowing into his soul, trying to ascertain his motives regarding her daughter. He also caught the note in her voice as she used his proper name.

"Andrea told me you two shared many classes in high school. Do you have any plans for college?"

"Um, I received a football scholarship to Vance University." Her question caught him off guard, but he recovered fast.

"Hmm, Vance. So have you two eaten breakfast?"

Mack looked at Andrea, but Andrea just kept her mouth shut, obviously not willing to talk quite yet. Mack sighed, then said, "I ate breakfast before I came over. Andrea was eating some cereal when I knocked on the door."

"Oh, that's too bad. I decided I wasn't sleeping in today. Would either of your two like some home-made waffles? A-la-mode, if you want. I picked up some ice-cream last night." She turned and walked toward the kitchen, leaving Andrea just as surprised as Mack.

Andrea turned and whispered, "Wait here." Then she followed her mother into the kitchen.

"Hey, mom?"

"Yes Andrea?" Her mother was pulling the waffle-maker out, then stopped and turned, looking at her daughter. "What?"

"Um… Well, you didn't say anything. Just that look you gave me."

"What's to say? I won't get in the middle of your relationship. It's clear Michael likes you as much as you like him. I saw."

Andrea turned beet red, then stammered, "You… You… Saw?"

"Yes, and before you say anything else, let me just add I trust you. Leave it at that. If he treats you well, that's all I could care for."

"Nothing about."

"His ethnicity? Andrea, I brought you up better than that. I could care less, as long as he treats you well. Give me some credit, please." She turned around and started mixing the ingredients in a big bowl, the whisk flashing in her hands.

"Oh." As she was about to walk back out to the living room, her mother reached out and touched her arm.

"Andrea, I'm always proud of you. Now go sit with your friend; I'll have the first batch up in ten minutes."

Andrea sat down on the couch next to Mack. He didn't say anything, but she could tell he was curious. After thinking about her mother's words, she finally put her hand out on Mack's arm and squeezed, adding, "She said the first batch will be up in a few minutes."

After a moment, she added, "I hope you like her cooking."

Mack heard her words, not quite understanding the hidden meaning, but when he finally did, his eyes widened.

They ate mostly in silence except when new waffles were doled out, a scoop of vanilla ice cream dropped in the center of each one. Mack looked up at her mother and said, "Wow, Miss Hecuba, these are really good. I haven't had waffles in… Um…"

"Thank you Michael. You're welcome to dine with us anytime; it's always easier to cook for three than it is for two. And if your parents feel inclined, maybe I can dust off my smoker. I'd love to exchange recipes with your parents." She smiled when she finished talking then turned to the waffle-maker and opened it, adding another one to the short stack on the serving dish.

"Oh, I plan on freezing whatever we don't eat. So don't feel compelled to eat everything. Eat only what you want."

When Mack and Andrea finally set their silverware in the center of their plates, they looked at each other, both surprised they had the same method of indicating the meal was finished. Mack laughed as he watched Andrea just pick up both plates and set them in the sink. Andrea's mother kept cooking the waffles, not doing anything else but watching the expressions on her daughter's and Mack's faces.

"Andrea, I'll handle the dishes, you two probably have some important teenage things to do. Please call me if you plan on eating at home, otherwise, I'm going to make some salad and soup." As she dismissed her daughter and her new friend, she turned to her waffle-maker and added the last of the batter, content her daughter was finally dating again, even if she wouldn't admit to it quite yet.

Andrea followed Mack out to his car after she slipped her boots on and clasped the buckles. When he opened the door for her, she sighed, but he responded with, "I'd open the door for you no matter what. It's how I was raised." She sat down and waited as he walked around the car, climbing in on his own side and turning on the ignition.

A few minutes later Mack pulled behind his mother's car in the driveway. Andrea got out, but she looked wary. Not scared by any stretch, but concerned. After giving him a nod, she followed him up to the front door, and followed him in once he opened it.

The house was well furnished, though the decorations and furniture were all standard fare, nothing exotic or garish. Mack turned to her and said, "Follow me, please."

She walked behind him up the steps to his bedroom. When he was about to open the door, he saw his parent's bedroom door opening. His mother, framed by the doorway, took in everything without saying a word. Mack looked once, then walked into his room, beckoning Andrea.

"Welcome to my own little chunk of the universe." Mack sat at his desk and pointed to his bed for her. "Have a seat. It could get interesting shortly."

There was a knock at his door, even though it was open. A lean black woman stood there, looking from her son to the woman seated across from him on his bed.

"Hi." It was all she said at first. A moment later, another head popped up behind her, this one a foot taller and with some grey in his hair.

"Hey mom, dad." Mack did not sound enthused; he saw the looks they gave Andrea, and he felt his blood start to boil.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. MacKenzie. I'm Andrea. We started off on the wrong foot last night." Andrea stood up, holding out her hand and putting them on the spot. She wasn't happy to call them out, but she was also determined to prove any misconceptions were wrong.

Mack's father walked in slowly with his wife, taking Andrea's hand and giving it a soft touch. He was rewarded with a strong grip, not enough to make him want to compete, but enough to let him know she wasn't afraid. "Umm, Andrea."

Mack's mother stepped over and took her hand in her own, then squeezed firmly. Her grip was equaled by Andrea's, then both women stepped apart. Mack watched the look on his father's face when he saw how Andrea was shaped, womanly, but also muscular. Mack's father also noted her eyeliner and piercings from up close, but he said nothing.

Mack's mother finally broke the tension. "Andrea, is there any way you'll accept our apologies for last night? We were..."

"I'm sure someday we'll laugh about it." She didn't say she would, but Andrea found it hard to hold a grudge. Any parents who produced as good a son as Mack couldn't be bad; the hard part was realizing the comments they made were all prejudged statements.

"As it is, I'm here because I like your son. He's also fun to dance with."

Mack winced as Andrea tossed all her chips in at once, taking a gamble on a brief handshake with each of his parents. He was amazed at how she was still controlling the situation. He compared her to Jodie and found the latter lacking in many ways.

"Ah. So, Mack said last night you shared a lot of classes with him." His mother was talking as his father stepped back and leaned against the wall.

"Almost all of them since our sophomore years. I just never knew how good a dancer he was back then." Andrea kept a straight look on her face, though both parents couldn't help but smile.

"He's a gifted athlete." Mack's father almost bit his tongue when he spoke. He then added, "We're proud of his scholastic work as well as his sports achievements."

There was a brief pause, then his mother spoke.

"So, Andrea. Um, I was wondering." His mother made a slight motion to her face, and Andrea understood. Mack's mother was curious, intrigued by her henna outlines and piercings.

"I can't really give a single reason. Some of it is rebellion against society, some is just curiosity. But it's part of me." Andrea thought about adding what her father thought, then decided against it, not wanting to make Mack's parents feel any worse off than they probably did.

Mrs. Mackenzie's statement of, "I see…" was followed immediately by Mr. MacKenzie's, "Uh huh."

"Anyway, so I have the henna art- it's called Mendhi, and I have a couple piercings and some ink. Some tattoos. Other than that, I write poetry." Andrea caught Mack waving his hands from side to side, as is trying to stop her. "But I don't share it. Too personal. I also work at PayDay and I go to the gym. My life in a couple sentences."

When she sat back down, Andrea could feel the look the elder MacKenzie gave her, then she realized her shirt was cut low enough for her scar tissue on her lower neck and part of her shoulder to be visible. The room was strangely silent for a minute or two, then Andrea finally smiled, adding, "I'm not a prostitute or a circus sideshow. The only thing I've ever done that's wild is my henna and piercings. I hope that's not too much for you. Excuse me, I need to use the bathroom."

Andrea stood up and squeezed past Mack's parents, then stopped in the middle of the hall. When she turned around, Mack's father was staring at her, respect written across his face. A moment later, his mother looked out at her as well, though she wasn't smiling; she was crying.

Mack spoke up and said, "Second door on the right."

Andrea shut the door and sighed, thankful for a moment of privacy.

Mack watched his parents closely; surprised they didn't blow up at Andrea when she mentioned their exact words. His mother was the first to say something after the bathroom door shut. "˜She's an interesting girl. I'm impressed with her self-control, especially after the way we talked about her last night."

Mack's father quietly added, "I'm sorry, Michael. I can only imagine what she's feeling right now. She's… She's okay; I mean it."

"I'm fond of her. Now you see why."

Mack looked back to his mother. The tears were still on her face; Mack finally let a weak smile across his lips. Both parents approved, for the most part. Any problems could be worked out later.

Jodie sat on her bed wondering about the changes she'd experienced in the last few months. Since getting her parents convinced she wanted to go to Turner University, things had been almost good. Almost. She thought of the previous night and what she had done to her boyfriend. Slapping him first, then slapping a girl she barely knew from school. It was all very out-of-character for Jodie, and she knew it. The only thing she could blame was the alcohol. At least she hoped.

Jodie grimaced again as she felt her stomach twist. Her first hangover, and the emotional state she was experiencing wasn't helping at all. But when she really tried to think about Mack, all she thought about was how he was with a white girl. Daria would have been fine, even Jane Lane was a decent choice, but Andrea? Andrea was a Goth, and the fact she didn't fit into Jodie's self-described world frustrated her. Everything Andrea did seemed understated, as if she was holding herself back for some reason.

Jodie looked at her hand and saw the bruised knuckles from back-handing the Goth. Andrea had dared her, and in Jodie's drunken state, she accepted the dare. A moment of rage, then a coldly-smiling Andrea, not flinching or even blinking when Jodie struck her. It was worse than anything Jodie imagined. It was like Andrea deigned knowledge of Jodie for a millisecond, then went back to ignoring her. But now, many hours later, Jodie was angry at herself for losing her self-control.

When she left for Mack's house with Brittany to talk to his parents, they were mad at him. They always sided with Jodie; she could do no wrong in their eyes, yet she lied to them about Andrea. Jodie remembered her words, calling Andrea a druggie and worse, and how the Zon was a club of ill-repute. Mack's words to her when he came home from the gym hurt the most, though. He called her lie out so his mother saw it. And even if she didn't, Mack knew Jodie was responsible for the prank on Andrea's car. Jodie felt the tears drop again as she wondered how many more mistakes she would make before she could apologize.

Jodie finally picked up her phone and dialed it, knowing the girl she would be talking to always gave good advice.

"Yo."

"Hey, Daria? This is Jodie." Jodie tried to keep her voice level while she talked; sipping some ice water helped, barely.

"Oh, hey Jodie. What's going on?" Daria sounded concerned.

"Umm, I… I have a problem."

"Let me guess. Dark hair. Several piercings and henna eyeliner. Wears boots, and works at PayDay." Daria's voice indicated she knew exactly who she assumed Jodie was referring to.

"Umm, not really. She's part of it, but I think it's me. I'm the problem." Jodie sighed; Daria had been one of her only true confidantes through high school, and the type of problem she was dropping was a doozie.

"Oh... Jodie? What's going on with you and Mack?"

"We broke up. I mean, I broke up with him. I… Damn it, I miss him!" Jodie couldn't help but feel she'd lost a part of herself since she saw Mack with Andrea.

"You broke up with him? Jodie? Why?" Daria's voice sounded confused.

"Well, because we're too different. And Daria, promise me you won't tell anybody."

"I promise. Now what?"

"We didn't go all the way at my graduation. I lied about it. Dammit, everything since my party has been a lie. I've got drunk several times with Britt…"

"Jodie? You're saying you didn't… Do it with Mack? And you've been drinking with the Head Lush?"

"I know… I… Damn, Daria, I'm so tired of the strain to succeed. I just want to cut back for once and be a regular girl, not the overachieving Valedictorian from hell." Jodie felt tears welling up when another voice popped in over the phone. Jodie almost dropped the phone when she heard it. For a second, she almost lost her control to more anger.

"Jodie, this is Jane. Look, I know what's going on. Can we meet for lunch or something? You, me, and Daria. We need to have a girl chat."

There was some mumblings, then a bit of static and a clunk, then Daria's voice came back over the phone. "Umm, yeah. Look, Jodie? I think this might be up Jane's alley. I can give advice, but I doubt for once it's going to be the best. Pizza King in half an hour? We'll come get you."

"Sure. I guess." Jodie held the phone in her hand and heard it click. Now two people knew about her and Mack. Jodie just hoped Jane could be trusted as well as Daria.

-

Andrea sat next to Mack on his bed. The door to his room was open, of course, but Andrea was still silently thrilled they were in his bedroom alone. His room was sparsely decorated; a desk with computer, a dresser, and some book shelves. Andrea looked through the titles and had to stifle a laugh. They had very similar tastes in books. "So, you read sci-fi?"

"Umm, yeah. I know, it's silly."

"No. I think I have about half your books. I'd like to borrow some, if you don't mind."

"I didn't see any sci-fi when I was in your room." Mack looked up at Andrea and fell into her eyes. The grey orbs seemed to feast on his soul, and he was powerless to stop it.

"I keep the good books in the spare bedroom. My mother has a nice couch in there for reading. I'll show you next time you come over." Andrea thought of what else they could do on the couch, then tried to keep from blushing.

"Heh. So you read sci-fi. Andrea, why didn't we ever… Oh, never mind." Mack thought of Jodie and how she dominated all his free time, even though he was low down on her priority list when they dated.

"I sat behind you almost every class. But Jodie was in all of them as well." Andrea wanted to stretch back and have him kiss her like he did in the parking lot, but she restrained her fantasies, just barely.

"Yeah, Jodie. Um, Andrea. Have you… Did you choose a college yet?"

"No. Can't afford it. Didn't get any scholarships either." Andrea suddenly wanted to take back her words; she was well aware Mack got into Vance because of his scholarship. Obviously his parents weren't as well off as some other families in Lawndale.

"Hmm. Ya know- I've had this wild thought…" Mack had to keep his eyes averted from her. Every time he looked at her face, he wanted to push her down and cover her mouth with kisses.

"What's that?" Andrea watched Mack as he looked away; he seemed to be preoccupied with something.

"Um." Mack stood suddenly and stuck his foot out, toeing the door shut. Then he turned on Andrea. "Um, can I ask you a question?"

"You already did. Next one costs you." Andrea looked out his window, keenly aware Mack was watching her.

"Andrea. Can we go on a date? Not just to the Zon to dance... But like a movie or pizza or something some night?" Mack finally sat down on the edge of his bed. Andrea was within reach, all he to do was stick his hand out.

"No." Andrea tried to keep the grin from her face; she knew he was very close, and she wanted to say it just right when she did.

"Oh." Mack sounded crestfallen.

"No, not some night. How about right now." Andrea turned back around and pulled Mack onto her in one smooth motion. He leaned forward as they kissed, both enjoying the simple act of touching. After a minute, Mack finally pulled back. Andrea was laying down, her head on his pillow. Somehow, she looked _Just Right_ there on his bed. He was about to say something when there was a soft knock on his door.

"Michael?"

Mack half-expected his mother to barge in, but for once, she didn't. Andrea was already sitting up on the edge of the bed; she nodded to Mack.

"Yeah? Come in, mom." Mack looked at Andrea again; she was holding one of his paperbacks.

The door opened and Mack's mother stood there, concerned, but also slightly bemused. "Hmm, I half expected to see you two making out. Not that it's not allowed. I mean, both of you are old enough, but."

"Mom. We were discussing sci-fi novels. Andrea reads them too." Mack felt his heart miss a whole handful of beats, but Andrea never looked up from the book.

"Sci-fi, huh?"

Mack watched his mother look closely at his face for signs of lipstick, but there were none. They never seemed to mind when he made out with Jodie, but Andrea was a new experience for them. Maybe too new, but it was one they would have to learn to deal with. Mack was also fairly certain he would be with Andrea for long time. It was just a gut feeling.

"Miss MacKenzie, would you mind if Mack took me out on a date?" Andrea looked up from her book to Mack's mother as she spoke. The question caught Mack's mother off guard.

"Oh. Um. I don't see why not." The older woman stepped back, surprised Andrea had asked the formality. She was a different girl from Jodie. And to be honest, she was well mannered, if a bit blunt.

"Cool. Mack, you mind taking me for pizza? I'll buy if you fly." Andrea closed the book, but held onto it while he stood up.

His mother turned and said, "You two, um, have fun." Then she was gone.

Mack turned to Andrea and whispered, "How the heck do you do it? I've never seen anybody fluster my parents this much."

Andrea pulled his head to her mouth, then whispered, "Secret." Then Andrea kissed his neck, feeling him shiver at the contact.

"Damn. If you do that again." Mack put his hand to his neck.

"Don't make promises you can't keep." She wasn't smiling, except for her eyes.

"Oh, trust me. I can keep this one." Mack stood up and held his hand out. Andrea took it as she stood up, then they both walked out of his room.

"Hey, mom, we're gonna go to Pizza King. You want us to bring you back something? Mom?" Mack waited for a response, but none came. "Maybe they're downstairs."

When Mack reached the bottom of the stairwell, his father was coming in the back door with his mother. Mack noticed fro the first time they both were slightly dirty, like they'd been doing yardwork.

"Hey, dad, we're going to Pizza King. Do you want us to get you anything while we're out?"

"One thing Michael, if you got a second. Can you come with me?" His father gestured, and Mack followed. He stopped and looked at Andrea, but she was resigned to fate, per usual.

When Mack followed his father into the garage, his father started speaking. "Michael, I can tell you care about the girl. Andrea. I just want to… Look, promise me something, son ."

"What is it? I'm not going to stop seeing her."

"That's not it, Mikey." Mack started at the use of his old nickname. He couldn't remember the last time his father called him that. "Look, I'm not ready to be a grandfather."

"Dad! We haven't… All we've done is kiss."

"Michael, I see how you two look at each other. I was young once, too. I know those eyes she has. Your mother had them when we first dated. Look, just be smart. Don't ruin a chance at college, son. Especially for her. That's all I got." He turned and briefly smiled, then walked back into the back yard.

Andrea followed Mack back to his car, once again sighing as he opened her door for her. He just grinned and shut the door for her, then he got in on the driver's side. They drove in silence save for some music. The volume was low enough, more background noise than anything. Andrea just looked forward as they drove, but when they passed Andrea's neighborhood, she asked him to stop by her house.

"What for?"

"I'd like to get some things. And drop off this book. I was serious about that."

"Oh. Cool." Mack pulled on to Andrea's street and drove down it. When she stopped in front of her mother's house, they both got out and walked up. Andrea had to unlock the door; her mother's car was gone.

"Hmm. Bet she left me a note." A moment later, after they walked inside, Andrea saw the note on the dining room table.

"Heh, here it is. 'Andrea. I'm shopping for some groceries and need to make a trip to PayDay. Be back later. Call me if you need me to pick anything up.' Go figure." She turned and walked up the steps, Mack following a step behind.

When they got to the first closed door in the hallway, Andrea turned the handle and led Mack inside. The room was cozy with several bookshelves literally covered in books. From hardbound to paperbacks, the shelves were two and even three deep in novels. The brown couch sat almost centered in the room, and there were two reading lamps, one at each end of the couch. Andrea cleared some space for the book she borrowed from Mack, then she pointed at the couch.

"Have a seat. Want a drink?" She stood by the door, expecting an answer.

"Not really. What about pizza?"

"Soon. I need to talk to you about some things first. This room is where I feel safest. Even more than my bedroom." Andrea sat down on the opposite end from Mack.

"Okay. So what's up?" Mack leaned back, curious what Andrea would ask. The fact she said the room was safer than her bedroom gave him cause for alarm.

"I'm not going to college this semester unless I have a miracle happen. For that matter, I doubt I'll go at all. And while I really like you, I don't want to drag you down. If you don't think you can handle being with a non-college bound girl, I'd rather stop things."

"Andrea, don't even say it. Look, I've been toying with deferring my scholarship for a semester. I've been thinking about it all morning."

"What about football, Mack? What will the coaches at Vance say?"

"Football? Oh, crap, I've not told you; actually, only Jodie and my folks know. Look, my scholarship isn't a football scholarship. It's a literary scholarship- for high-school football players. I'm not playing college football. I was going to major in Journalism. In all honesty, I played it because my father thought it would be the easiest way for me to get into college. And it was, just not the way you'd expect."

"Why would you defer starting the semester…? Oh." Andrea suddenly understood what he was saying. Three days they'd spent in company of one another, and now he was attempting to alter his life for her.

"Does that answer your question, Andrea?"

"Yes." Her voice was suddenly meek. Mack could see she was shocked by his words. "What about Jodie." Andrea still spoke softly.

"Jodie. What's to say? We're done. Unless she forgives you, I just don't see myself ever talking to her."

"Forgive her. Don't keep a grudge, Mack. For us to work, you need to forgive her." Andrea hated saying it, but it was what her mother taught her. And it was the correct thing to do.

"I… I guess I can. Dammit, Andrea, how can you be so forgiving?" He noticed Andrea was closer. She had moved the cushion next to his.

"I'm passive."

Mack tried thinking of a good response when Andrea leaned over and put her arms around him. As she hugged him, he turned so he could respond in kind.

"You're incredible." He wanted to kiss her, but decided if he did he'd lose what little self-control he had.

"Maybe. You'll find out eventually." Her last words were a whisper, teasing him with their softness. Then Andrea pulled away and leaned against the arm of the couch. "So what did your father say?"

Mack looked at her and decided honesty would be the best answer. "He said he wasn't ready for grandkids. I think the whole "my black son and his new white, um, girlfriend" thing is still percolating." Mack watched her closely to see her response when he said girlfriend.

"Hmm." Andrea narrowed her eyes and said, "Does it bother you? Could it or would it bother you?" She tried to keep her excitement out of her voice as she spoke; the reference to her as _his_ girlfriend made her heart race.

"I could lie and say no to all three, but I'll tell you the truth. No to the first question. I'm fairly certain it's the same for the other two. I guess I don't want to curse what we got so far. What about you?" Mack wondered how she would react to his words.

"I can honestly answer no to all three. I mean what I said the other night. I see a guy with a smile and some nice muscles." Andrea reached out and squeezed his arm, eliciting a grin from Mack.

"I have one more question, and this one is really important." Andrea's face was grave now. Mack shuddered at what could be more difficult than the questions already asked.

"Go ahead. I'm baring all right now." He sighed, expecting something to crash his party-of-two.

"What toppings do you prefer on your pizza?" She leaned back toward him, her eyes narrowed again. "I can wait a few minutes to get some pizza, so take your time answering."

"Wow you weren't kidding- you saved the most important question for last. No fish, no fungus, no fruit. Everything else is fair game. Um, a few minutes?"

Mack watched Andrea edge closer to him, then she leaned over and put her hands on his shoulders. She pushed him down on the couch, once again pinning him, and when she leaned in close, she whispered in his ear, "A few minutes."

Jodie saw the car pull up out front. It was Jane's, and Jodie had a fleeting moment of anger that Daria let Jane hear the conversation. On the other hand, Jane had dated more than Daria- and Jodie for that matter. Her success record wasn't good, but she was definitely more experienced. Jodie walked out the door, curious what the next couple hours would bring.

When Jodie climbed in, Jane looked in the rearview mirror and said, "Jodie, before we go any further, you gotta understand something. We're going out to have fun, not fight or trash talk or anything like that. Got it?"

"Sure." Jodie slumped into the back seat and instantly regretted not taking something for her headache.

Jane stifled a smile when she saw the obvious discomfort Jodie was in when she sat down. Jane surreptitiously turned the music up a hair louder; Jodie deserved to stew a bit before they talked.

"Hey, Jane, any chance you could turn the music down a bit?" Jodie was rubbing her temples after only a short distance from her house.

"Headache? Or hangover?" Jane turned the music down, and when she looked at Daria, her friend was glaring at her. Jane just smiled and kept on driving.

"Maybe both." Jodie sighed as Daria turned around at her, wide-eyed. "What? I admit it, I got drunk last night. Actually, I've been drinking almost every night for the last week." Jodie felt a small weight lift off her shoulder, but now Daria was giving her a vile look. "Daria, don't look at me like that. I know it was a big mistake."

"Daria, unlike you, Jodie actually has a bit of a night-life. No offense, Amiga- I enjoy our time together, but."

"No, you're right. I shouldn't judge." Daria felt left out while they talked. It was true she rarely went anywhere, unless it was the Zon, but even then, she was a bystander, not a participant. Maybe if one day she went out and tried to have fun- that would be one thing- but she didn't feel the need to risk an injury dancing.

"Okay, enough about this. I need food, I think. And some water. I feel dehydrated."

"You are, Jodie. Alcohol does that. Was it beer or liquor?" Jane thought of all the times she baby-sat her brother and his friends; she was adept at helping others recover from hangovers.

"Beer. Do they affect you differently?"

"Yeah, but the end result is usually the same. You feel rough, maybe vomit. You get hungry, but can't eat anything. Then you go to bed, the room spinning, and you finally wake up more tired than you went to bed." Jane could recall Mystik Spiral's song about drinking to a stupor; it was true-to-life on several occasions for the band's members.

"Voice of experience, right Amiga?" Daria looked over to her best friend, she knew the answer.

"Yeah, from Trent; along with Max, Nick, Jesse. Even Penny, the last time she visited." Jane could still remember her older sister hugging the toilet while Jane waited outside the bathroom with some figs and a glass of water.

"Hmmm. So what can I do?"

"Jodie, you need to eat- but not much. Mostly, just drink some water and take some B-vitamins, and maybe some aspirin. That's what causes a hangover, or at least part of it. Some figs also help- they settle your stomach."

"Figs? And B-vitamins? Hmm. Oh, hey, we're here." Jodie sat up and waited while Jane pulled into the parking lot.

Daria and Jane both had their seatbelts off when Jodie suddenly exclaimed, "Damn, not here."

Jane looked out and saw two people entering the restaurant; arms crossed at the elbows as they walked in together. She looked at Daria and noted Daria's expression, too. Jane sighed; then finally spoke out loud. "Great, this is a perfect time for all of us to make up and hug and eat pizza. Especially the latter. Let's go."

Jane stepped into the restaurant, holding the door open for the other two women.

Andrea watched as the three girls filed in and took a seat at a booth on the other side of the restaurant. Mack looked from his girlfriend to his ex-girlfriend. It was still a bit weird saying that about Andrea, but he felt a deeper connection for her than he ever felt for Jodie.

"So, what should we do?" Mack turned and faced the Goth sitting across from him; her face was typically unreadable, but her eyes betrayed her calm look. Andrea was nervous.

"I don't know." Andrea honestly didn't. She wanted to think she had no problems with any of the three, but realistically if Jodie tried starting anything, she'd end up with some busted chops.

"Mack, I gotta use the bathroom." Andrea stood back up and walked away.

Jodie sat next to Jane while Daria sat across from the two. The skinny freckled guy came and took their drink order, then Jodie felt a wave of nausea hit her.

"You okay, Jodie?" Jane watched Jodie close her eyes and grimace.

"I don't feel too good. Maybe I should use the bathroom." Jodie stood up quickly and ran to the bathroom. When she opened the door she rushed to the first open stall and kneeled, emptying her stomach.

"Oh, Ugh…"

Andrea heard the voice and froze. She finished what she was doing as quietly as possible, then cracked the door open. She could hear the other woman retching. A wave of compassion hit her, and before she knew what she was doing, Andrea stepped out of her stall and walked up to Jodie.

She put a hand on Jodie's shoulder and softly said, "Don't force it. Try to take deep breaths and relax."

Jodie startled at the voice behind her. A moment of rage passed, then faded into anxiety. She felt the hand on her shoulder and tensed. She knew how strong Andrea was after their last interaction; the goth frightened her, and now she was powerless to stop her.

"Jodie, I'm not going to hurt you. Just take a deep breath and try to relax. Trust me, I've been down that road."

"What?" Jodie turned her head partially and saw the dark-clothing and the woman's boots. They were steel-toed, but they weren't pulling back to kick her in the ribs. Jodie closed her eyes and tried to breathe deep, but her stomach flip-flopped and she heaved again.

"Jodie, relax..." Andrea stepped back and gave Jodie some space, but she didn't leave.

"Oh, God, this sucks."

Andrea tore a few paper towels free and wetted them, then she placed them over Jodie's forehead. Jodie gasped at the cool touch, but a moment later she leaned back. When she looked up at Andrea, all she saw was compassion in the goth's eyes.

"How do you do it?" Jodie asked.

"What?"

"How do you stay so... Passive?"

Andrea responded by stripping her top off and pointing at the network of scars on her arm, shoulder, and neck. She quietly added, "I've been through hell. My own father did this- and it led me to drink as well as some other bad things. I quit drinking a year ago when I realized how sick I was getting, except for the occasional freebie at the Zon."

"My God…"

Andrea suppressed a chuckle at Jodie's wide-eyed response. "Jodie, I learned there's no point in getting mad over something in the past."

She pulled her shirt back on and turned to walk back out, but Jodie said, "Wait… Wait, please." Jodie stood weakly, then she walked to the sinks and washed her face and rinsed her mouth out.

"Look, I'm really sorry. I said some bad things about you."

"Everyone does it. It's starting to not bother me at all. People who know me know better." Andrea leaned against the wall next to the door and waited for Jodie to continue, though Jodie's statement brought back a flood of memories from her first meeting with Mack's parents.

"I know it's no excuse, but… But I'm jealous of you."

Andrea's mouthed dropped at what Jodie said, and her eyes went wide as well. "Jealous?"

"Yeah. Dammit, you get away with being different. You dress however you want, you don't have to be a part of anything to be happy. Damn, it's just not fair!" Jodie felt frustration coming back; frustration at her family for always pushing so hard for Jodie to excel at everything. The best grades, the right clothes, being in the best school organizations- they wanted Jodie to be superlative in every way so she could succeed in life.

"I'm just me. Nothing special." Andrea caught herself before she started talking about how happy she was with Mack, too. That would have been catty, childish even.

"You have no idea what I'd give to be that way."

Andrea looked at Jodie for a long moment, then an idea struck her. "Then be this way."

"Huh?"

"Jodie, you don't have to be what everyone else wants you to be. Mack told me about your desire to go to Turner. And how you stood up to your parents. Why not take it further and do what you want right now. You only have a few weeks before you leave for college. Might as well enjoy yourself."

Andrea turned and was gone before Jodie could respond. Jodie stood there for several minutes as she mulled over what Andrea meant. When Jodie looked back in the mirror, a tear fell down her check as she realized she might not be strong enough to stand up to her own image.

Mack already had ordered by the time Andrea sat back down. He saw the look on her face and said, "What's up?"

"I talked with her."

The look on Mack's face told volumes. He looked at the bathroom door as it opened and watched his ex-girlfriend walk out. She was red-eyed; Mack could see that even from across the walkway leading to the kitchen and bathrooms. "What did she say?"

"Ask her yourself." Andrea sipped at her soda with her eyes nearly closed. She was watching him.

Andrea's response surprised him, he'd never heard Andrea respond that way to him, and it almost pained him to hear a shortness in her voice. And then he figured out why- Andrea wasn't the type to tell another person's problems. Andrea continued to impress him in every possible way.

Mack slowly got up and stretched, then he walked across the restaurant to where the other three were sitting. None of the other patrons paid him any attention. When he stopped in front of their table, he tried to smile but found it couldn't reach his lips. Instead, he finally said, "Hey, what's up?"

Jodie tried to hide her tears, but she could tell Mack saw them. He didn't say anything, of course. He was Mack; he never… No, that wasn't true anymore- he did sometimes say things that would hurt others.

"Jodie. I wanted to apologize for saying what I did." He held out his hand, but Jodie just stared at it.

Jane and Daria were both silent during the exchange, though Jane also had a smile creeping around the corners of her mouth.

None of them saw the woman in black walk up; she held a pizza in one hand and two sodas in the other. When she spoke, all four almost jumped even though her voice was soft.

"Hey, Twinkie, scoot over." Andrea looked down at Jane and smiled, then the thinner woman slid over to make room.

Daria finally sighed when Mack sat down next to her. Then she looked across the table at Andrea- when she finally spoke, her voice wasn't its usual monotone. "Well, this isn't what I expected when you called, Jodie."

"Hey, Jodie." Andrea looked at the girl sitting on the other side of Jane. Jane ignore them all- she just leaned forward and snuck a piece of pepperoni off the pizza. Mack smiled when he saw that and stole one for himself.

"Wh… What?"

"Ever been moshing?" Andrea had to hide her smile by tearing a slice of pizza off and stuffing half of it in her mouth, but her eyes gave her away. Jane almost snorted her soda as she burst into laughter.

"This I've got to see. Jodie, in a pit? That's like Daria going."

"What about Daria, Jane Lane. Please do tell. Curious minds want to know." Daria interrupted her best friend before she could get another word in.

Mack rolled his eyes at the bickering that would most likely ensue, resulting in a smile from Jodie. He caught her eyes for a moment and suddenly realized Jodie's problem. She never got a chance to be herself in any respect, much like his own situation had been until very recently.

"Hey, Jo. Do you still have those boots from the summer camp at the farm?

"Yeah. Why are you…? Oh."

Andrea looked from Mack to Jodie, then she looked across to Daria. Daria noticed and responded by saying, "Not me. No way."

Jane stuck her thumb at Jodie and said, "Daria, if Jodie is willing to go into the pit, you can too."

Jodie responded with, "Wait. Maybe Jodie isn't willing to go into mosh-pit. In fact, Jodie is waifish and would most likely get..."

"Jodie, I go moshing all the time. And I'm even skinnier." Jane leaned back along with Andrea as the waiter set down another pizza, looking from Andrea and Mack to the three women, then he scratched his head and walked away.

"And besides, people aren't there to hurt each other. It's all about venting frustration, rage, fury. Whatever. It's a good way to get rid of stress."

"Umm, speaking of stress." Jodie suddenly looked nervous as she quietly said, "I told them about us after my party, Mack. They know we didn't... um."

"Jodie, we had a good evening. Leave it at that. It's in the past." Mack found himself surprised to say what he did; he sounded more like Andrea- she was a good influence on his stress level, and he seemed to really benefit from being with her. On the other hand, she most likely knew he was a virgin now. He grimaced, then looked across the table at Andrea. Her eyes bored into his soul, and he wilted under her gaze.

"Ah. So, I'm pretty hungry after ralphing. Do hangovers prevent you from enjoying a couple slices of pizza?" Jodie looked from Jane to Andrea; both girls said, "No," simultaneously.

Andrea added, "If you need something for an upset stomach, figs and fig cakes work wonders."

"Um, thanks. I'll be fine I think. Friend?" Jodie looked at Andrea while the other three suddenly became very quiet.

"Friend?" Andrea cracked a momentary smile and added, "Yeah. Friend."

"Well, it appears everyone has made up now. We have two extra-large pizzas here, and I'm starving. As soon as Daria says she'll go out with the rest of us, we can get back to our pizza." Jane stuck her tongue out at Daria as four sets of eyes fell on her.

Daria worked her jaw for a moment, then looked from Mack to Andrea, then again from Andrea to Jodie. She finally sighed and threw her hands up. "Fine. I'll join you in killing each other to music. Can we continue eating now?" She reached for a slice along with everyone else at the table.


End file.
